Far Away
by MarieRock
Summary: Renji's been to world of the living several times before and there weren't usually any surprises. Until Karakura High gains a new student who seems to catch his eye. RenjiXOC
1. Introduction

Okay, so here's the beginning of my next story! :) I'm still willing to writing an IchiRuki fic while I'm writing this one if anyone's interested, but updates will be much slower, I'm guessing. It just depends on how well the story sparks, I suppose.

Also, I'm going to have to jump around with POV's again, so I apologize. It just...is going to make this story a lot easier, so sorry if it bothers you.

Anyways, here it is! :)

* * *

_Mina's POV:_

I'm Mina Aburamai and I'm a new student at Karakura High School. My mother and I had to move to Karakura Town after losing the house and moving into a small apartment, so I was forced to leave the friends I've had since first grade to attend an over sized public school. I wasn't bitter about it, it wasn't my mom's fault, but you can imagine how I felt.

It wasn't my first day of school, I had been going to Karakura for four days now, but everyday seemed to be like my first day. Having to hear people repeat their names, unable to focus on the lessons, getting funny looks in the hallway. It was hard to overcome the deep stage of mourning I was still in, due to my father's sudden death. That's why Mom and I couldn't afford the house, because Dad was in an accident four months priar to me changing schools.

Anyway, it was Thursday morning and I was walking into my first hour, fifteen minutes late. Everyone stared at me as I slowly crossed the room, sitting down in my assigned seat.

"Aburamai-san, may I ask why you're so late?" the sensei asked, placing her hands on her thin waist, staring at me along with the rest of them.

I looked up at her timidly, feeling my cheeks heat up. "I-uh...I slept in, Ma'am, I'm sorry," I answered, trying to avoid my classmates' gazes.

"You've interrupted our lessons everyday since you've arrived at Karakura High, Aburamai. I'd appreciate it if you could join the class at the same time as everyone else. That is if you think you can handle it," she said sarcastically, obviously being in a worse mood than usual.

I nodded in response, muttering an incoherent apology. Finally everyone turned their attention back to Sensei, allowing the heat to escape my cheeks.

As I scanned the room I noticed that there were notes that Sensei had scrawled on the chalkboard. I assumed we were supposed to copy them down, but soon realized that not only had I come to class late...but I came unprepared also. I sighed, blowing my bangs out of my face.

I glanced over at the boy I was seated next to, trying to avoid his glare, and attempting to recall his name. Everything about him was unique, his permanent scowl, his bright orange, spiky hair, but his name was impossible to remember.

_Ich...Ichi-something, right?...Ugh! Why can't I remember?!...,_ I thought, glaring in concentration.

"Ichigo!" I whispered loudly, snapping my fingers. He glanced over at me, his glare still present as he cocked his eyebrow.

"Uh...yeah?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, my face turning red slightly as I gained more glances. "I uh, can I barrow some paper and a pencil, please."

"Oh, yeah, sure," he said, seeming to be less irritated now. He pulled out a notebook from his school bag and ripped out a piece. He handed the paper to me along with a pencil, catching the sensei's eye. She approached our desks, looking down at me dissappointedly.

"I see the extra fifteen minutes this morning wasn't enough time," she stated, her hands still glued to her hips. "You were already late, why didn't you bother taking a few more minutes to bring your materials?" she barked, seeming even angrier.

"I'm sorry, I just-" I began, surprisingly enough, Ichigo cut me off.

"Hey, Sensei, calm down," he said, his eyebrows knitting even further together. "She's been through a lot, give her a break," he whispered to her understandingly.

The teacher attempted to stare him down, Ichigo returning the steady gaze before she sighed. "Fine," she stated, turning back to me. "I apologize for snapping at you, but make sure you get your act together soon. For your won sake." With that she returned to the front of the class, continuing the lesson.

I leaned closer to Ichigo, seeming to surprise him, and whispered in his ear, "Thanks a lot, that was really nice of you."

He nodded curtly, his face still in it's sour state. "No problem," he said. As I pulled away from him I caught a glimpse from another one of my classmates, the girl who always seemed to be at Ichigo. She didn't look happy.

I sighed, not wanting to make an enemy, especially so soon. I pulled my long, curly hair up in a sloppy bun before stretching an elastic band around it. My long, light brown bangs fell back into my face, covering my eyes. I absently brushed them aside and focused on copying the notes off of the black board. _Things are gonna turn around soon,_ I told myself. _They just have to..._

* * *

The bell announcing the beginning of the lunch period rang, students quickly escaping the room. For the last two days I'd been eating alone, so I took my time gathering my things from my desk.

I noticed Ichigo and that short girl talking in the back of the classroom, standing close to each other and whispering. I wouldn't have paid much attention to it, except that the next thing they did was approach me. Ichigo was closer, Short Girl keeping her distance, it seemed.

Before Ichigo began to speak he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Uh, Rukia and I wanted to know if you wanted to eat lunch with us," he said, absently gesturing toward the petite girl. She nodded, her expression softening at the surprise that crossed my features.

"Uh...yeah, sure. That sounds great. Thank you," I said, glad to have someone to talk to. I was just hopeing they weren't going to ask about why I moved here.

The rest of the day was nice. We ate lunch with a large group of mixed boys and girls. They all told me their names for the third time, but this time I made more of an effort to remember. Ichigo and Rukia were the friendliest to me, other than that creepy Keigo kid who seemed to be overly friendly. But other than being a little uncomfortable around all these new people, I was glad I was making some friends. Things _already_ seemed to be turning around, but I still didn't feel at home with my new school.

* * *

_Renji's POV:_

I had returned to the world of the living to help Ichigo and Rukia guard their area. This meant I had to go to school with them, unless I wanted to waste all day at Urahara's Shop. So I decided I'd deal with sitting in the classes, pretending to listen. It was better than being forced to help run Kisuke's shop.

I arrived Thursday night, calling Rukia and letting her know I'd be at Ichigo's before school. The next morning was normal, Ichigo and Rukia bickering like they were brother and sister or something, Rukia talking non-stop as we walked to school, asking about how my duties as lieutenant were going.

As we entered their classroom, though, I noticed someone I'd never seen before. I'd been to Karakura High enough to know that they didn't get new students often, but that wasn't what surprised me. It was just..._her_ that caught my attention. She was sitting in the seat next to Ichigo's usual desk, reading some book, her bright purple eyes skimming across the page quickly as she bit at one of her fingernails. She pushed some of her long, brown hair out of her face absently, revealing more of her features, causing me to raise an eyebrow unknowingly. I'd never seen a human so capable of...catching my eye before.

That's when I felt Rukia's small elbow nudge me lightly in the stomach. "Rude much," she said, smiling up me.

Now gaining my attention, I laughed, shrugging. "Who is she?" I asked.

"She's a new student who just lost her father a few months ago, so I wouldn't try anything if I were you. The last thing that poor girl needs in her life right now is more complications, and you'd surely be one," she said, her smile growing.

"What makes you think I'm even interested?" I asked defensively.

Ichigo didn't seem to be listening until he jumped in. "Rukia's right. Besides, she's so timid she'll probably be afraid of you," he answered. Before I could respond he continued. "Just drop it for now," he said, approaching his desk and sitting down. She tore her gaze away from her book unwillingly, it seemed, and looked over at him.

"Good morning, Ichigo. Rukia," she said without even looking in Rukia's direction. She must have already noted that they're never away from each other.

"You're here early today, good job," Ichigo said, smiling back at her.

She nodded eagerly. "I know. I really didn't want to be disrespectful to the class or to Sensei, so I made sure to get her earlier. I just sort of got here _too_ early," she finished with a small laugh. She looked up at Rukia, noticing me standing beside her, and her smile left her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. I don't believe we've met, I'm Mina Aburamai, it's nice to meet you," she said, slowly holding her hand out to me. She really did look scared of me.

I smiled at the thought and shook her hand absently. "I'm Renji Abarai."

"Have you been sick?" she asked, causing me to cock an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

"You haven't been here for the last few days, have you?" she asked, looking concerned.

I shook my head. "No, I just...don't come very often," I said, not knowing how to explain my poor attendance.

"Oh, I see...," she said, awkwardly looking away before returning her gaze to me, a nervous smile back on her face. "It was really nice to meet you."

I nodded, about to reply before the sensei came into the class and told us to sit down. I did so and started my day of pretending to pay attention. I found it much harder to do so, now having this girl as a new distraction.

* * *

Okay, so I'm finally done with the rough first chapter. I know not a lot of people like OC's, but I love this one of mine. Well, actually, she's my sister's, but we've both developed her personality.

Anyway, please review! :D


	2. Infatuations?

Hello! :) I'm back again, writing when I should be sleeping. Oh well. :D

So, I know my summary sucks, but I don't have a completely...solid plot line right now, so that's why the title might be changed and that's why the summary is so terrible. So, I apologize.

Anyways, here's chapter 2.

* * *

_Mina's POV:_

After meeting Ichigo and Rukia's friend, Renji, I had a hard time focusing. Well, a harder time. I had never seen anyone so scary looking in my life. But at the same time...he looked like a pleasant person. He had a genuine smile and seemed to be pretty laid back. But...his tall stature, long hair, and tattoos made him look like some sort of thug or something. Not to mention that he was really well toned, tattooed muscles peeking out of his sleeves.

As I stared at the front of the class I continued thinking about him, but I wasn't sure why. I shook my head, trying to push the thoughts aside and listen to the sensei. I pulled out a notebook when she said something about getting down the notes and immediately tied my hair back in a bun, pinning the loose bangs back out of my face. I copied the words on the board without reading them and eventually snapped my pencil. I sighed, standing and quietly walking to the back of the room to the pencil sharpener. It wasn't until I elbowed him in the face that I realized Renji's seat was right next to the pencil sharpener.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I whispered, about to touch his face, then realized what I was doing and pulled my hand away. "I'm really sorry, I didn't see you there!" I continued, my whispers gaining attention.

He laughed and absently held up a hand to stop me. "Don't worry about it," he said, his smile widening, revealing his sharp teeth.

I nodded, my face heating up again. "Please, forgive me," I continued frantically.

"Really, don't worry about it, it's not a big deal," he started, his gaze moving to the front of the room. "But you might want to go back to your seat...," he said, not looking back at me.

"Huh?" I said, turning to see the sensei and everyone else staring at me.

"I'm sorry, Amurabai, Abarai. Are we interrupting?" she said sarcastically, glaring down at us. I stood up straight about to reply before Renji beat me to it.

"Yeah, kind of," he said, smiling back at her, being smart.

I looked back down at him quickly. "Renji!" I whispered, although everyone could hear me, I'm sure. "Don't, please."

"Then maybe we should wait until you're done," she continued, her voice thick with annoyance.

He laughed and looked back up at me, as if looking for an answer, his smile still present on his face. I shook my head curtly before he looked back at her and shook his head. "No, that's okay, I think we can wait," he answered, still making a joke out it.

Sensei rolled her eyes and looked back at me. "Get to your seat," she ordered.

"But my pen-" I began.

"Sit down, Amurabai!" she said, watching me until I did so before returning to her lesson. Ichigo leaned over, filling the gap between our desks and held a sharpened pencil out to me before saying, "Ignore her, she's always in a bitchy mood around finals."

"Thank you," I meant to whisper back, but instead, while turning my head toward him, I ran my head into his. I hadn't noticed just how close he was. I apologized as he rubbed his head and pulling away, the gap growing again. _I can't believe how clumsy I'm being today!_

From my peripheral vision I saw Rukia's steady gaze again. I had to remember to keep my distance from Ichigo. Though Rukia had been friendly enough, she seemed to be pretty protective over him.

"God damn, you have a hard head," he said, sounding aggravated but looking amused.

I laughed and apologized again. As I turned to look at an unhappy Rukia, I thought I noticed Renji look a little annoyed also, which only confused me. _What have you gotten yourself into, Mina? These people are so...interesting._ I thought as a smile crossed my features.

* * *

The rest of the day was just as interesting as the morning. I learned a lot about the few friends I had seemed to accumulate during the last few days, but nothing too personal. The main three I talked to, Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji, kept a lot of things to themselves it seemed. So, I was determined to get at least one of them to open up.

I, surprisingly, opened up a lot to all of them. I talked about my father, how he died and how things had been since he passed, but I didn't feel obligated to go too far into the subject and they respected everything I had to say. Ichigo seemed to really pay attention and understand, but I wasn't sure why. That is until lunch.

While we still had fifteen minutes of lunch left Rukia claimed she had to use the restroom and asked me to go with her. I was used to this, most of my friends from home being the same way. But as we entered the empty room, she stood against the wall and folded her arms across her small chest, smiling at me warmly. I cocked an eyebrow and her smile widened.

"I believe you've noticed Ichigo's...sensitivity toward what you're going through. Am I right?" she asked, still smiling at me knowingly.

I nodded, taking my place in front of her and resting my elbows in opposite palms. "Yeah, I have," I said, waiting for an explanation.

"Well, I just thought I'd let you know that he knows exactly what you're going through. He really does," she started, turning her head, her smile growing warmer, but somehow sad. "When he was a young boy, he lost his mother and it's just...effected him a lot. I thought you should know," she finished, pushing herself off the wall and looking back at me, her smile growing.

"But anyways, what do you think of Renji?" she asked, causing heat to return to my cheeks for what seemed like the hundredth time since I'd started attending Karakura. The funny thing I noticed later on was how she changed the subject from Ichigo to Renji as if Ichigo was "off limits" to me.

"I...uh, he seems nice," I replied, pushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear nervously.

"I think he likes you," she said, obviously enjoying my torment.

"Wha-what makes you think that?" I asked, my face growing more red.

"I'm not sure, he just...hasn't been so interested in someone in a long time. I really think he likes you," the petite girl responded, absently playing with the hem of her skirt.

"...I...Well,...I just...," I said, trying to say something that made sense. This was so blunt and out of the blue. I mean, this guy had _just_ met me that same day. How on earth could he like me? He barely knew me.

"I'm not trying to push you into anything. I know now isn't a great time for a relationship, I understand. But he'll be around, I'm sure, when, if you ever are, ready. But it's not like he's told me any of this, I just...know him well enough. I can read him," she said, seeming to have no doubt that he didn't feel this way.

I nodded, trying to change the subject. "How long have you known him? I remember you saying something about growing up together. How long have you two been friends?"

She sighed, blowing the stubborn strand of raven hair that never seemed to leave the center of her face, out of the way for a moment before it returned to it's rightful place. "Hm...well, I'm not sure how old we were when we met...but we've always been best friends, ever since I can remember."

"Oh, really? I thought you were best friends with Ichigo?" I asked, noticing her figit at the mention of their relationship. I smiled, glad that she had the chance to be a little uncomfortable.

"No...we're really close, but Renji's definitely my best friend," she answered, looking away again.

"Well," I continued, adding her discomfort. "what exactly is he to you, then?"

She shifted from foot to foot, pulling her arms tighter around her slim frame, her face tinting pink. I don't think she noticed, she spoke just as steadily. "Just a close friend. I guess you could say he's my second best friend," she finished, her face growing a deeper shade of red as she cleared her throat. The color left her cheeks as she changed the subject. "Anyways, when you're ready, you should really think about Renji," she continued the conversation I was so desperate to get away from. "Honestly, at first I didn't think it'd be the best idea...but maybe you'd be good for him." Her smile widened, and she sighed loudly. "Well, let's get back to lunch, the bell should be ringing soon."

I nodded and followed her, trying to push the awkward thoughts about the guy who was practically a stranger out of my mind.

* * *

Okay, so there's chapter two! :D

Please review! :) Hope you enjoyed!


	3. Close Encounters

Okay, I'm back with chapter three! :D

It's not in the summary, but I'm sure you've noticed there's some IchiRukiness in this fic also. Well, sorry for you who don't like it, but it's in my nature to include that couple to my stories, mostly because this is the first fic I've written that's not mostly based on them. So, yeah, sorry for you who won't enjoy that part of it, but I assure you that Renji and Mina are the main focus of the plot! :)

So, here it is!

* * *

Mina's POV:

After Rukia and I had returned to the rest of the group from our bathroom break, she asked me if I wanted to hang out the following weekend. "I'd invite you over tonight, but I have some stuff to do, and I haven't asked Kurosaki-san yet, so," she said, shrugging her small shoulders, hair falling over them.

"Wait," I started, suddenly confused, my brow creasing. "'Kurosaki-san'?"

She looked back at me, avoiding Ichigo's angry gaze. "Yeah. Ichigo's father. I live with his family, under certain circumstances."

I couldn't help my jaw from dropping slightly. _No wonder they're so close. _"Oh...," I said, surprise still seeping into my voice.

Before an awkward silence was able to form, like I knew it would, Keigo slapped me on the back roughly, laughing. "Yeah, it shocked us too," he said, laughing. I forced a small smile, still super creeped out by him and tried to discretely lean away from him. It just so happens leaning away from him meant leaning closer to Renji, which caught his attention, but he didn't respond. That wasn't much better. Not that I was creeped out by Renji or anything, he seemed normal. Enough. But I had just learned that be might like me, and I wasn't very comfortable with stuff like that. Especially when it had to do with strangers.

Suddenly, I was snapped back into reality when Keigo leaned closer to me, his face now only inches from mine. "What's wrong, Mina?" he asked, already calling me by my first name, I noticed. I know I had the bad habit of forgetting my manners with my -sans and -kuns and all, but I had a feeling that wasn't _his_ problem. "You're spacing out, you okay?" I could smell his breathe, a mixture of the sushi and rice he had just consumed.

I pulled further away, biting my lip, and turning red when my head was pressed against Renji's body. I would've pulled away, but that would mean being closer to Keigo, and I did not want that. "No, it's nothing, really," I said, my nerves frayed. I'd never been cornered before, but I knew I never wanted to be again. I felt claustrophobic under his close stare. My nervousness must have leaked into my tone, because Renji decided to come to the rescue.

"Back off, you're obviously freaking her out," he said sternly, aggravated. I glanced up at him and noticed him glaring at Keigo, not at all fazed by my head still resting against his chest.

Keigo gave him an unhappy face before retreating, not stupid enough to provoke Renji. I sighed out of relief and pulled away from Renji, patting down the loose hair that had been matted against his chest. "Sorry," I said, not looking at Renji, although I knew he understood I was talking to him.

"Don't worry about it," he muttered, leaning back on his hands, staring off, still looking angry.

"...Anyways," Rukia started, absently spinning a lock of hair around her finger. "You should come too, Renji." Now she was smiling, directing it at the redhead. "It'll be fun."

He shrugged, not returning her friendly gesture. "Sure, whatever."

"Great," Rukia said, her smile widening. She continued to look at him, as if they were in the middle of an unspoken conversation. As I glanced back at Renji, I noticed he his eyebrows knit together, now glaring at Rukia like they really were in the middle of a conversation.

"Mina, you should see if you can stay the night!" Rukia exclaimed. "You can stay with me and Renji can stay on the couch. Or on Ichigo's floor or something," she explained, causing me to hold back a frown. _She acted like we've known each other forever, not like we just met yesterday. _

"Uh...I don't know. My mother probably wouldn't let me," I said.

"Why not?" she asked, cocking her head to one side. I saw Ichigo glance down at her, smiling slightly at her expression.

"Well, she doesn't like me staying with someone she doesn't know, so I don't think-" I started before she butt in.

"We can come pick you up and meet her then!" she said, smiling again, worry free. "That sound good?"

I suppose I still looked worried, because Ichigo came to my defense this time. "Leave her alone, Rukia. She barley knows us, she'd just be uncomfortable the whole time. Besides, don't start volunteering me to share my room," he said, trying to change the subject.

"Get over it, Ichigo. It's not going to kill you to let Renji sleep on your floor. It's not like he fits on your couch," she retorted, glaring up at him and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Just leave her alone," he said, trying to dismiss their conversation completely.

"You're not uncomfortable, are you?" she asked in spite of Ichigo's demand, now turning back to me.

"Uh...no...," I said, half lying. They seemed genuine enough and I felt like I really knew them already. Rukia was willing to share personal things with me, even if they weren't about her, Ichigo always seemed to be looking out for me, and Renji...well, Renji was willing to protect me from creeps around the school. They all seemed friendly enough, I thought I could trust them enough to spend a night with them.

"See! She doesn't care. So," she said, talking to me once again. "We'll be over around noon tomorrow. Sound good?"

I nodded, less nervous about it. Almost excited.

Ichigo sighed, looking at me as well. "You don't have to put up with her, just tell her no. She'll get over it," he said, a small smile appearing on his face when he noticed Rukia's glare return, deeper this time.

"Shut up!" she said, elbowing him in the gut roughly. He didn't seem to be hurt, but he allowed the impact to knock him down so that he was laying on his side. He laughed, his smile spreading into a full grin. They went on like that, flirting pretty much, for awhile, everyone used it apparently.

After they finished, not seeming to notice others smile at them knowingly, Ichigo rolled onto his back, resting his arms under his head. He looked like he was about to take a nap right there on the roof of the school. Then I remembered how tired he always seemed to look and figured he probably would've slept, except the bell rung. This caused him to sit up, sighing, obviously annoyed. Rukia patted his head, looking concerned. "Only one more class, then we can go home," she said quietly, not gaining a lot of people's attention. He nodded, holding a hand up to her after she stood. Rukia grabbed his hand and helped him up, exchanging whispers with each other as they stood close. When they put a little distance between themselves I noticed Ichigo look over at me, smiling again along with Rukia. I quickly looked away, trying to act like I hadn't notice their close encounter.

* * *

_Renji's POV:_

I was extremely tired at the end of Friday, but I wasn't sure why. I went to Ichigo's house with him and Rukia after school and laid on their couch lazily, ignoring their conversations while I tried to sleep.

About twenty minutes after we had gotten there mine and Rukia's soul pagers went off, alerting us of a hollow attack. Ichigo groaned loudly, causing Rukia to look at me. She obviously wanted me to take this one, letting Ichigo relax a little. Although I was tired, I wasn't nearly as tired as Ichigo seemed to always be, so I agreed and departed minutes later, leaving my gigai laying on the couch, appearing to be asleep.

I could feel how weak the hollow was and knew I'd be back soon. I followed the faint spiritual pressure it gave off until I heard a scream fill the quiet atmosphere. It was definitely a woman's. It led me the rest of the way, taking me right to the hollow. I didn't didn't acknowledge the girl, assuming she was just a lost soul.

I unsheathed Zabimaru, pulling a hand over the blade, routinely saying "Howl, Zabimaru." The blade grew, gaining different segments. I fell into my regular stance before charging at the white-masked monster, easily slicing it between the eyes, forcing it to scream and fade into nothing. Honestly, changing my zanpakuto into it's shikai form was sort of pointless, I just hadn't expected it to be so simple. The hollow must have been weaker than I thought.

I moved my hand over my sword again, changing it back to it's regular form, and turned to the owner of the evaporated scream. Still not looking directly at her, but preparing Zabimaru for the soul burial. "Okay, I'll be-" I started before she cut me off.

"R-Renji?! Is that you?" the frantic girl asked, my eyes widening as I recognized her voice. I sharply turned my head in her direction, seeing her squint at me as if she could barely see. It was that cute human girl from Ichigo's class, Mina.

"Renji, what's going on?!" she asked, her voice trembling, tears running down her face. That's when I noticed the hollow had somehow injured her leg, making it hard for her to stand. "What was that thing!?"

"I-" I started, not sure if I should explain or just claim to be someone else. Although I soon realized how stupid that was. Even if she couldn't see my face clearly, who else had red hair like mine. Not to mention the pineapple-shaped ponytail.

"Please," she begged, continuing to cry, "tell me what's going on!"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair absently. "Calm down, you're okay."

"What was that thing?!" she demanded, trying to sound strong, although her sobs seemed to choke her.

I walked over to her and grabbed her arm, letting her know I was closer, but she probably could have figured that out. I sat on the damp grass, carefully pulling her down next to me. I took a deep breathe and realized what I was about to do. I knew I wasn't supposed to tell any human who encountered a hollow about Soul Society, but I felt like I just...needed to tell her. After all, the only people she had really befriended since attending a new school was three Shinigami.

"That was a hollow," I said, starting the long explanation. We sat there for a good half an hour while I explained.

* * *

Okay, here's chapter three! :3

There's a lot of IchiRuki in there, isn't there? Well, there will be plenty of RenjiMina coming soon!

Anyways, I hope you all liked this chapter! :)


	4. Spilling the Beans

Ello! ;{D I'm back again!

I haven't been getting many reviews for this story, which I honestly expected. I know not a lot of people are fond of OC stories. But I really appreciate the one person whose commented so far, **gnarley-**. Thank you for all the kind words! I'm really glad you're enjoying this story and I hope I can make this story partially as good as _All You Wanted_. :) I'll try not to disappoint you.

Anyways, here's chapter four! :4

* * *

_Renji's POV:_

It wasn't until I had finished explaining everything to that girl that I noticed exactly what I was doing. I was in shock that I was actually telling this _human_ about soul society. I could have easily made an excuse, I could have just left, but no. I broke one of the most important rules the soul society has, and I don't even know why!

The whole time she sat silently, just listening I guess. Or wondering if she'd gone crazy. Every now and then she'd look up at, squinting, trying to see me better. When I finished everything, she just sat there, still not saying anything, her hands folded in her lap. I looked down at her, expecting a response of some kind, but not getting it. I cleared my throat loudly, but she still didn't say anything.

"Don't you have anything to say?!" I asked, frustrated.

She jumped at the sudden outburst, her head snapping in my direction. "Oh...I...I don't know...I mean, it's not like I can deny it...I _saw_ the hollow...and you....I just don't know what I think...," she said slowly. She didn't seem to need to squint so much as her gaze stayed on me.

I nodded, not sure what to say. "So...can you see me any clearer?" I asked, leaning back on my hands and stretching my legs out in front of me. They had fallen asleep by then.

"Yeah, actually, I can," she said, studying my face, still.

She continued and eventually I got sick of it. "Would you stop already?" I snapped, probably harsher than I should have been.

Her eyebrows knit together suddenly. "Sorry," she said sarcastically. "You're a lot nicer at school, you know it?"

I sighed. "Sorry, sorry. I just...Telling you everything wasn't a good idea," I answered, gaining a confused look from her. "I just broke one of the biggest rules I'm supposed to obey by telling you everything. I mean, it's not like anyone's going to know, I'm certainly not going to tell anyone, but it's possible someone will end up knowing."

She looked back up at me for a second before looking ahead of us. "Like Ichigo and Rukia?"

I shook my head. "No, I'll tell them, it's not a big deal. I meant my captain, or other captains."

She nodded, looking down at her hands. "...I'm sorry I got you in trouble...," she said, causing me to laugh.

"Don't worry about it. It was my fault, I was the idiot who actually told you."

"Okay...," she answered, still looking guilty.

"Alright, well, I better get you home," I said, standing. She looked up at me, her brow creasing. "It's pretty late, it'd be pretty horrible if I made you walk home at this time all by yourself," I stated, smiling down at her, and offering her a hand.

* * *

_Mina's POV:_

I was still pretty shocked when Renji's open hand appeared in my face. It was so surprising that someone like Renji was so...old fashioned. Now a days, you rarely met a guy who is willing to walk a girl home, no matter what the hour. Besides, it wasn't really that late, it's not like it was dark outside. He just seemed to be doing it to be kind, so that surprised me more.

I slipped my hand into his, allowing him to pull me to my feet. His hand was warm and slightly sweaty and he didn't have the grip you'd expect someone Renji's size to have. I assumed he was used to being careful with his strength.

After I was off the ground I brushed the back of my pants, swiping away some blades of grass. He started walking in the wrong direction, but before I could warn him, he was returning to me, holding my school bag loosely in his hand. "Here," he said, handing it to me. "You dropped it."

I nodded, sliding the strap over my shoulder and pulling my hair out from beneath it. "Thank you."

"No problem," he responded. "So, which way?"

I pointed in the direction of a small neighborhood. "It'll be faster if we cut through there," I said, starting to walk toward the sidewalk just along the entrance. He followed, his hands in his pockets. He seemed to have to walk slower than his usual pace, his legs much longer than mine.

I glanced up at him, noticing that he looked exhausted. I felt my brow crease, feeling guilty that he was spending his time walking me home. "Renji, you don't have to walk me home. I know my way, you can go home," I said, although I didn't want to walk alone. I hadn't been living in the area long enough to feel completely safe, and of course I felt more protected with him around.

He shrugged. "It's not a big deal, don't worry about it."

I nodded and we continued to walk. It was silent and quite uncomfortable. I hated the silence so I decided to start a conversation, even if it turned out to be forced. "So,...are you going to Ichigo and Rukia's tomorrow?" I asked, absently playing with a strand of my curly hair.

He nodded. "Yeah."

I nodded also, waiting for him to say more, but he didn't. _So much for conversation._ I thought, unable to bring myself to say anything else about the subject. We continued walking, now approaching a fence we'd have to jump. I grabbed the railing of the fence and put my foot in one of the rings, putting some weight on the leg. Pain shot through my limb quickly and I fell, releasing my grip on the cold metal.

"Ow!" I shouted, noticing the deep gash in my leg for the first time.

Renji turned to me quickly, kneeling next to me and grabbing my leg lightly, examining it. "Are you alright? How did this happen?" he asked.

I shook my head, trying to ignore the tears that stung my eyes. "I don't know," I said, grinding my teeth together.

"Was it the hollow?" he asked, seeming to be more calm now.

"I'm not sure. Maybe."

He nodded, letting go of my leg. "It doesn't look that bad. You should be fine," he said. "Do you think you can walk on it anymore?"

I grabbed the fence, using it to stand up partially before Renji grabbed my arm and pulled me the rest of the way, standing also. "Yeah...I think so," I said, instantly changing my mind when I put a little bit of pressure on it. I grunted in pain, immediately leaning on my other leg and holding onto Renji's arm for support.

"Here," he began, leaning down and picking me up bridal style, causing my face to heat up. "Just tell me which way to go."

I nodded, looking down so he wouldn't see my red face. "Okay...over the fence." I said, only becoming more uncomfortable when he pulled me closer, making it easier to jump the fence. My head was practically buried in his chest.

"Now what?" he asked, looking down at me.

I still didn't return his gaze. "Just go to that apartment complex. It's apartment 7G."

"Alright," he said, walking quickly toward the apartments. I continued to stare off, but soon relaxed a little bit. I was too tired to be so worked up. I allowed my head to rest against him, hearing his heart beat loudly in his chest. The slow rhythm only made me more tired, causing my eyes to close.

Before I actually fell asleep Renji slightly shook me, bringing me back to reality. "You awake?" he asked, sounding amused.

I smiled, nodding. "Yes, sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he answered. "Is this it?"

"Yep," I said. He sat me down carefully in front of the apartment door. "Thank you for all your help, Renji," I said, pulling out my keys. I tried, but couldn't even put the key in the lock. I kept leaning on my bad leg, wincing.

"Here, let me," Renji said, taking the keys from my hand and unlocking the door. "Do you need my to help you inside? Your mother wont be able to see me," he said, returning my keys to me.

I was about to deny his offer but remembered that our apartment was on the second floor. "Um...if it's not too much trouble," I said quietly.

"None at all," he said absently, pushing open the door and grabbing my arm. He aided me up the steps carefully, stopping when I flinched or cringed. When we reached the top of the stairs I heard my mothers voice.

"Mina?! Is that you!?" she asked frantically, entering the living room area. An angry expression was on her face, but soon turned into concern. She wiped a strand of curly, brown behind her ear. My mother and I shared a lot of the same features, not just our hair. We both had deep purple eyes and the same face structure. We honestly were mistaken for sisters a lot because my mother looked so young. She was very attractive for her age, although she was only in her mid-thirties.

"What happened to you, Sweety? Are you alright?" she asked. I glanced at Renji and noticed him looking at her quit...intently. I was grossed out at first but soon remembered how old he had said he actually was. Then, I was just disappointed, but I easily pushed the silly thought aside.

"I just tripped, that's all. I'm okay," I said, leaning against her when she started to drag me to the bathroom.

"Here, let me wash that, Sweety. You have to be more careful!" she scolded, but I wasn't listening. I turned back to Renji and mouthed 'Thank you!'. He nodded, smiling, and then left.

* * *

_Renji's POV:_

After what felt like forever, I finally returned to Ichigo's house, more exhausted than before. I walked in without knocking and went to Ichigo's room immediately, looking for Rukia. Instead I found Ichigo sitting on his bed, reading a book. He looked up at me when I barged in, cocking an eyebrow while maintaining his usual scowl.

"What took you so long?" he asked.

"It's a long story," I stated, looking around the small room. "Where's Rukia?"

"She's taking a shower," he said. "Why? Is something wrong?"

I nodded, sitting at the foot of his bed. "Yeah, I did something really stupid," I said, sighing.

"What? What happened?"

"Well, the hollow I was after was attacking that new girl at your school," I started, leaning back on my elbows.

"Mina?" he asked.

"Yep, her."

"So? Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she got cut on the leg, but it wasn't too bad," I answered.

He looked more confused. "Then what's wrong?" he asked, tossing his book aside.

"I told her," I said simply, causing him to raise his eyebrows. "I told her everything."

"But...why?! Why would you do that Renji?" he questioned.

"I don't know! She saw me and recognized me, so I just...told her."

"She could see you?" Ichigo started, clearly confused. "Clearly?"

"No, not completely clearly at first. By the time I got her home, it was pretty much clearly though," I answered, stretching my legs in front of myself, my knees popping loudly.

"I don't understand," he said, absently running his hand through his hair. "How could she see you? And why'd it become clearer? I don't get it."

"Well, when you humans are exposed to high spiritual energy your ability to see and sense soul reapers and hollows become stronger. That's why all your friends were able to see everything, because _somebody_ didn't know how to control his spiritual pressure," I said, looking over at him.

"Really?" he asked, obviously surprised.

I nodded, closing my eyes and sighing. "Alright," I said, rising from his bed. "I'm going to sleep. I'm exhausted. Is it alright if I just crash on your couch?"

"Yeah, go ahead," he said, picking his book back up.

"Thanks," I said absently as I left, not bothering to wait for a reply. I went downstairs, returned to my gigai, and kicked my shoes off. The room was still filled with light, it was only around six o' clock, but that didn't stop me from sleeping. My eyes slid closed and the last thing on my mind before I drifted to sleep was Mina and what I had done.

* * *

Okay, there's chapter 4! :D

Hope you enjoyed! :)

Please review and let me know what you think! (If you've decided to read this far, I'm sure you have an opinion! Don't be afraid to share it!)


	5. Awkward Reunions

'Kay, so I'm back again already thanks to the motivation of **gnarley-**! :D I'm not sure why, but her latest review just made me want to write some more! :) So thanks!

Okay, so one point I'd like to make right now is...that I don't have a solid plot for this story. I'm being completely honest, and it scares me a little, but I really don't know where this is heading. I've just been planning on writing a fic for my favorite character and the OC I created for him. So, yeah. But I promise thing's start to have a purpose soon! Promise! I just thought you should all know, I'm working on a concrete story-line as best as I can!

Okay, here's chapter five! :5

* * *

_Renji's POV:_

I woke earlier than anyone else, but that was expected. I fell asleep at six, so I didn't plan on sleeping in very late. It was only three thirty when I did wake, so it was still dark out. I sat up, taking a few moments to remember that I had slept on Ichigo's couch, being reminded by the mild pain in my back. I looked around, only able to see by the pale moonlight that shone through the living room curtain. A scrap piece of paper on the small table in front of the couch caught my eye.

I picked up the paper, expecting to see Rukia's small script, but instead saw Ichigo's sloppy handwriting. '_You'll probably wake up pretty early. Help yourself to whatever is in the fridge or cabinets. Feel free to watch TV, just keep it down. If you need anything, just let me know. -Ichigo_' the note said. I nodded as if Ichigo was standing in front of me, saying all this, before sitting the note back down on the coffee table. I stood, hearing my joints pop loudly, and walked to the fridge. I opened the door and peered in but soon realized I wasn't hungry, surprisingly enough. The sudden memories of what I did the night before took my appetite away.

I clutched to handle of the fridge's door tightly, glaring at my stupidity. _What the _hell's_ wrong with you, Renji?! You're taking this whole thing too lightly! This is serious! To tell a human about soul society for no reason at all-It's ridiculous! _I sighed and shut the door, forcing myself to calm down.

_It's not like anyone's going to find out. Not anytime soon, at least. Besides, she promised to keep her mouth shut, I'm sure she will. By the time anyone realizes, I'll have a good enough excuse, it's really not _that_ big a deal. Just calm down._ I thought, returning to the living room and sitting down on the couch. I noticed for the first time that someone had thrown a blanket over me while I slept and gotten me a pillow. They were both laying on the floor now. I assumed it was Ichigo's little sister, the one who always took care of everyone.

I laid back down with my arms under my head, propping my legs against the opposite arm of the couch, sighing again, and pushing the thoughts away.

* * *

_Mina's POV:_

I had a hard time falling asleep the night Renji saved me from that hollow. I kept picturing the monster approaching me in a blurry haze, it's steps loud, echoing. The smell of death that seemed to linger around it as it got closer, leaving me paralyzed. All I could do was scream. I imagined what might have happened if Renji hadn't shown up, but quickly pushed the thought away after shuddering.

My thoughts drifted elsewhere, landing on Renji. He seemed so worried about what would happen if someone found out that I knew, I felt so guilty for holding the secret. He had no reason to trust me and no reason not to, but I was sure he had a hard time going about his business knowing that I could change my mind at any second. Not that I would, I promised I wouldn't say a word, but he didn't know if I was serious or not. I hated the effect I knew I had on him now.

Then, suddenly I remembered the way he had looked at my mother. Of course, even after registering his age, it still seemed wrong that someone who seemed to be my own age would look at my mother that way. But again, I felt the disappointment that plagued me when I had first noticed him checking her out. _This is so stupid! What do you care? You just met him, he's a stranger! So what if he liked the way Mom looked? Get over it! _I thought, scolding myself. But soon I allowed myself to admit why it bothered me so much. _Rukia said he liked me...Not that I like him, I still don't know him _that _much. But she said he could read him, that he seemed to really liked me. He didn't seem to regard me as someone he liked. I guess I'm just disappointed, no one's seemed to be interested in me before. Although, again, he didn't either._

I opened my eyes slowly, realizing that my mind was still on the subject even as I slept. I didn't even remember falling asleep. I sat up, looking over at my alarm clock to see that it was 11:47. I squinted at the clock, making sure that it was correct and trying to remember what I was supposed to do that day..._Crap!_

I jumped out of bed and grabbed some random clothes from my closet and drawer, heading for the bathroom. I quickly undressed and got in, allowing the water to get scolding hot to remind me I had a time limit. As I mixed my shampoo and conditioner together and lathered them into my wet hair, I heard my mom knock on the door. "Mina, Sweety, there are people here to see you," she said.

"Yeah, sorry I forgot to ask earlier, but is it okay if I stay the night at Rukia's house tonight?" I asked, shouting over the hot water that was pelting against my thin frame. "She wanted to pick me up so you could meet her, but we won't be-" I started, surprised to hear her say, "Of course you can go!" with amusement in her voice. "Just hurry up, I'll pack your stuff. Don't make them wait too long," she said and then was gone.

I blinked, wiping some foamy shampoo off of my face. "Okay...," I said. I quickly rinsed the mixture out of my hair and pulling it out of my face in an effortless bun. I finished the rest of my shower in mere minutes, walking out of the bathroom fully dressed and almost completely dry. This was when I first realized what I had grabbed from my closet, a pair of old ripped jeans and a dark purple T-shirt that was a little small. I continued to dry my hair off as I entered the living room area, noticing my mom talking to Rukia, Ichigo, and Renji.

They all looked up at me when I entered the room. I smiled, throwing the towel aside. "Sorry I made you wait. I forgot you guys were coming to get me and I slept in," I said, sheepishly, nervously scratching the back of my head. Things seemed to be more uncomfortable now that I knew all their secrets and they knew that I knew. Well, I assumed they knew.

Ichigo shook his, his usual scowl on his face. "Don't worry about it," he said. I wasn't sure if he was glaring because I knew or just because...he always seemed to be glaring. But it made me even more nervous.

Rukia seemed to notice and smiled at me. "It's fine, really. Take your time, we're in no hurry," she said, her smile widening as she absently crossed her arms over her chest.

I nodded. "Okay, hold on a second, I'll be right back," I said, turning back into the hallway and heading for my room. I grabbed a pair of socks from my drawer and my old tennis shoes, returning to the living room. By the time I returned they were all seated on the couch. I sat in between Renji and Ichigo, sitting my old green converse on the floor in front of me. I absently pulled my socks on before slipping the shoes over them and tying the shoe laces haphazardly. Standing, I grabbed the bag my mom had packed for me and hugged her. "Thanks Mom," I said as she let me go. "I'll call and let you know when I'm coming home."

"What? You can't leave already, I barely got to talk to your friends!" she whined, her hands on her hips and pouting like a child. "I don't even know they're names!"

I laughed and shrugged. "Okay, that's Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji," I said as I gestured towards each of them, readjusting the back pack on my shoulders. I noticed her look at each of them intently, her eyes crossing their distinct features. I watched her, waiting for her to finish staring at them and noticed a familiar look cross her face. I didn't even have to turn around to know that she was giving Renji a look like he had given her the night before. My _mother_ was checking _Renji_ out! My temper rose inside me, causing me to snap. "Okay, Mom!" I shouted, glaring at her. She looked back at me and laughed.

"Sorry, Sweety. I'm just trying to remember which one's which! You know how my memory is!" she said, laughing at my reaction again. "Okay, okay, go ahead. Have fun, Mina, and be careful with your leg," she said, waving as I led them out the door in silence. I was still glaring when I heard Ichigo speak up.

"Uh...Are you okay, Mina?" he asked, obviously unaware of what had just happened. I hoped Renji was as clueless as Ichigo seemed to be.

I nodded, allowing a sigh to escape my lips. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was just getting impatient," I said, the glare leaving my face.

"So," Rukia started, getting right to the point. "You know about us soul reapers, right?"

I nodded, playing with the straps of the back pack nervously. "Yes, I know."

"Well, what made you believe Renji?" she asked, cocking a small eyebrow.

"What do you mean. Why wouldn't I believe him?" I asked, slightly concerned.

"It seems pretty crazy to you humans, right? Didn't you find it the least bit odd?" she asked.

"Of course I did, but I had already seen the hollow and I could see Renji. It would be pretty stupid to deny something that was right in front of me," I said, absently pulling my hair out of it's wet bun and pushing it over my shoulder, letting it rest against my back. I returned the elastic hair tie to my wrist.

She nodded, smiling after being silent for a few moments. "You took it a lot better than Ichigo did," she said, directing her smile up at him teasingly. "He spazzed out and refused to believe me, even though he could see me clearly. Plus he'd been able to see ghosts since he was younger."

"Yeah, well, seeing isn't believing," Ichigo muttered.

Rukia laughed and lightly elbowed him in the ribs. "Calm down, I was just kidding," she answered, her smile widening when he returned the gesture, obviously amused.

I felt a smile cross my features. I had learned to enjoy their bickering and flirting. Not in a creepy way, but they were really cute. I was wondering how long it was going to take for them to admit to the obvious feelings they had for each other when I noticed Renji. He was staring ahead of himself, with his hands in his pockets, and a slight grimace on his face. I cocked my eyebrow as I strained my neck to continue looking up at him. "You okay, Renji?" I asked, Ichigo and Rukia still lost in their conversation, not hearing me.

He nodded, not looking at me, seeming to barely recognize that I was talking at all. I sighed, stepped in front of him, and stood on my tiptoes, waving a hand in front of his face. "You there, Renji?" I asked, smiling up at him.

He stopped, obviously surprised, and smiled also, swatting my hand away. "Yeah, yeah."

I pulled my hands behind my back, clasping them together, as I continued to block his path. "Then what's the matter?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," he responded, still seeming bothered by something, but I let it go.

"Okay," I said, looking over my shoulder to see Ichigo and Rukia still at it, farther away from us, and not noticing that we had stopped at all. "Come on," I said, grabbing Renji's arm as I began to walk faster to catch up with them. The sudden contact seemed to surprise him almost as much as it had me. I wasn't usually so open to physical contact, even something as little as touching a guys arm, but I assumed it was the part of me that was jealous of the way he had looked at my mother, just trying to get his attention.

When we reached Ichigo and Rukia, who were _still_ in the middle of a friendly argument, I let go of Renji and smiled over at them. Now they were arguing about something completely different. "I am not a cheater!" I heard Ichigo say, grinning down at Rukia, still not noticing us.

"Bull!" she spat, laughing. "You are such a sore loser, you can't play a single game without cheating!"

"How the hell does someone cheat at Rock, Paper, Scissors?" he asked with a defensive tone.

"You always say you threw something that you _didn't_ throw! If I throw rock and you throw scissors, you claim that that's 'just how you throw paper'!" she exclaimed, laughing again. "Or you just make stuff up."

"I do not!"

"What about...what did you call it? Chuck Norris. What does that even mean?" she asked.

Ichigo laughed now. "I didn't make up that one, that's been around for a long time," he answered.

"Well, it's not part of the rules, or else it'd be called Rock, Paper, Scissors, and Chuck Norris!"

I laughed loudly, covering my mouth with my hands, gaining their attention now. "What?" Ichigo asked, cocking his eyebrow.

"I'm sorry...I just...That's a really interesting conversation," I said, both looking at me confused, like _I_ was the one that was acting crazy.

Rukia smiled at me. "Trust me, you'll get used to our stupid conversations soon enough," she said, turning her smile back at Ichigo for the hundredth time. "His stupid sort of rubbed off on me," she said before laughing again. Ichigo was about to respond, but Rukia held up a hand of protest up to him, stopping him mid-sentence. "We're home!" she said, pointing to the Kurosaki clinic that we stood before now.

It was a weird place for someone to call home. There were two entrances, a sliding glass door that reminded me of a hospital or a hotel entrance, and a small door off to side that looked remotely normal. As we entered, through the normal looking door, we slipped our shoes off and walked into the living room. Right away I noticed the smell. It was clean, but it didn't smell like cleaning products like my new apartment did. It was a mixture of good food and something else, but I couldn't detect it. Maybe air freshener. I wasn't sure, but that smell was dominant over the smell of food. The smell reminded me of the scent that lingered around my desk, coming from Ichigo, no doubt.

The living room was normal, a couch, a coffee table, a television. I noticed a shirt on the couch and soon remembered that it was the yellow shirt Renji had been wearing under his school uniform the day before. I cocked my eyebrow, but before I could ask I heard a high pitched voice yell, "Ichi-nii! Is that you?" from the kitchen. A small girl with short strawberry-blonde hair appeared, smiling up at her older brother.

"Hey, Yuzu," he said, absently waving at her slightly. "This is Mina, she's a friend from school." Ichigo grabbed my arm and pulled me in front of Renji and Rukia, allowing his little sister to actually see me.

I waved sheepishly. "Hello, Yuzu. It's nice to meet you."

She waved back enthusiastically. "You too!" she answered, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into the kitchen a lot like the way her brother had just done. "What would you like for dinner tonight?" she asked.

"Uh...anything's fine, thank you," I said.

She was about to ask again when Ichigo cut her off. "Leave her alone, Yuzu. Just make what you were planning on making," he said, stepping into the kitchen and patting her head absently. She pouted but didn't argue. "Fine," she said as she leaned back against Ichigo, the top of her head barely reaching the middle of his stomach, though she only looked a few years younger than him. Ichigo knelt down next to her, placing a hand on her back. "Why don't you go get Karin and Dad? I'll get the introductions over with," he said.

She nodded, a smile returning to her face. "Okay!" she exclaimed, running in the direction of the stairs. Ichigo smiled as she left. He regarded his sisters completely different than I expected him to. I imagined him teasing them like he did to Rukia, just not in a flirting kind of way. But he seemed to be really close to his siblings, acting almost fatherly towards them. It was really cute.

Next, I met Ichigo's other sister, Karin. She seemed quiet and calm, her facial expression reminded me of her elder brother's. She seemed very nice. Then, I met Ichigo's father, a man I'm sure I'll never forget. He was extremely violent as he carelessly attacked his son, a giddy smile on his face. That is until Ichigo dodged the attack and punched him in the face, aggravated. He was also very blunt. "What's wrong, Son? You bring such a lovely lady home to introduce to your father and you act like this? I'm appalled! I've raised you better!" Isshin shouted, nursing his bleeding nose and causing Ichigo's face to turn a light shade of red.

"Shut up, she's a friend that _Rukia_ invited over!" he answered, his glare deepening.

I smiled, although I was just as embarrassed as Ichigo, I'm sure. _This night is going to be interesting._ I thought, my smile widening.

* * *

Okay, **gnarley-** did you find Mina's mother checking Renji out as gross as when he checked her out? lol, sorry for teasing you, but I did it for you! :)

Well, there's chapter five! It's so much longer than my usual chapters, but not a lot of stuff happened in it still, I'm afraid. I'm still blaming that on my lack of a plot! :D

Well, anyways, hope you enjoyed! Please review!


	6. Heated Conversations

Back! ;D

There's nothing really to say, so...Here's chapter six! :6_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_Mina's POV:_

The first night I stayed at Rukia and Ichigo's house we spent most of the time just sitting in Ichigo's room, talking. Surprisingly enough, most of the discussion was about personal items, not about soul reaper business. Although, it was all about _my_ personal subjects, not that I minded it. I was still looking forward to getting to know at least one of the three friends I had accumulated during the last week a little better.

I shifted against the corner of the wall along Ichigo's bed. I was sitting at the top of the mattress where the pillow was supposed to be with my back against the wall, my legs folded in Indian style. Rukia was sitting next to me, her short legs stretched out in front of her, also resting against the wall. Renji sat at the foot of the bed while Ichigo rested on a chair he had pulled away his desk, one foot planted on the floor while the other laid under the opposite leg.

"So," Rukia said, starting a new conversation as our short one about soul reapers ended. "How have you been? You know, since your father passed away." As she finished I saw her glance at Ichigo before returning her gaze to me. I soon noticed that both Ichigo and Renji were looking at me also.

"Oh," I started, pushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear absently. The content smile that had remained from the previous conversation now faded and I found myself unable to return any of their gazes, so I looked down at my hands. "I've been okay," I finally answered.

Although I think she noticed my discomfort, she continued. "How about your mother?"

I shrugged, still focusing on my folded hands in my lap. "She seems to be doing pretty good, but it's hard to say. She doesn't really talk about it much, she just...sort of acts like nothing's changed."

"Does that bother you?" she asked, not seeming to notice Ichigo clear his throat loudly.

Tears rimmed my eyes and my hands clenched into fists, trying to control my emotions. I managed to lift my shoulders again, ignoring the hair that fell from behind my ear and fell into my face.

Rukia gave me a curt nod before patting me on the shoulder. "I see. I'm sorry, Mina, for your loss," she said, meaning it while maintaining a slightly emotionless tone.

I allowed a few tears to run down my face but wouldn't allow myself to break. Not in front of my newly made friends. I wiped my eyes, pulling my hand away to see Ichigo handing me a few tissues. I took them, mumbling a thanks, and blowing my nose. Before pulling away Ichigo patted my shoulder understandingly. I smiled, finally pushing the fallen strands of hair out of my face. "I'm sorry about that," I said, feeling awkward again. Not that their comforting words were awkward, but there was an uncomfortable feel to the atmosphere, I assumed from the one who hadn't said anything since I first got upset.

"Don't worry about it," Rukia said. She glanced at the clock and suddenly stood from Ichigo's bed, her hands on her hips. "Okay, it's getting late! Time for bed, I'm tired." She turned to me, smiling again. "You ready to go to sleep?" she asked.

I nodded, smiling back at her, standing also. Rukia nodded and walked over to Renji, hugging him. "Good night, Renji," she said, stopping her movements as she began to pull away, her head lingering next to his. She whispered just loud enough for me to hear, "Say good night to Mina." She pulled away completely after this and smiled down at him, causing him to roll his eyes. I acted like I hadn't heard and she didn't wait for Renji to actually say anything, turning her attention to Ichigo.

"Are you going to be nice and let Renji sleep on your floor?" she asked, her hands returning to her hips as if she were already scolding him.

Ichigo rolled his eyes and nodded. "Whatever, I don't care," he answered, absently running a hand through his hair. His answer earned a broad smile from the petite girl.

"Good," she said. "Come on, Mina," she said, about to take her leave when I said, "Say good night to Ichigo," in a amusingly mocking tone. Renji laughed, also smiling at her.

She looked back at us, along with a confused Ichigo. Rukia tried to act like she didn't mind my remark, but her cheeks defying her by turning a light shade of red. She turned around, back to Ichigo, folding her arms over her chest. "Good night, Ichigo," she finally said, Ichigo still clueless.

I waited awhile for her to continue or do anything else, but she just stood there, staring Ichigo down. "...Uh, doesn't Ichigo get a hug?" I asked, noticing Rukia's frame stiffen quite obviously. Ichigo gave me a funny look, his face also tinting pink.

Rukia turned to me again, giving me a very dirty look. She cocked her head to the side slightly as she said, "No, he does not," simply, turning back to the door and leaving, bumping into Ichigo accidentally.

He blinked, cocking an eyebrow. "I'm sorry," I said, smiling up at him guiltily. "I was just teasing her, I didn't expect her to get so angry, I'll go apologize," I said, about to leave before Ichigo stopped me.

"That's not a good idea," he said. "She seemed pretty pissed off at you, you might not want to go near her. I'll go talk to her," he said, looking uncomfortable just at the thought of confronting her. With that he left.

I turned to Renji, who was still smiling, and couldn't help the grin that tugged at my lips. "I was just teasing her," I said,still feeling guilty about it.

He shook his head absently. "Don't worry about it, she'll get over it," he said, leaning back against the wall and sighing tiredly.

I stood there, resting my elbows in opposite palms, a little uncomfortable by our sudden alone-ness. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other as the silence continued to plague us.

"Uh," I started, getting his attention again. "Did you sleep okay last night?" I asked, regretting saying the words right after they escaped my lips and hung in the air.

"Um, yeah, fine," he said, his brow slightly twitching as if it wanted to rise in confusion. "Why? Did you?" he asked, still maintaining a neutral look.

I shrugged, allowing myself to think over a response this time. "...Not really. I just...had a hard time falling asleep, but once I slept, I never woke until a few minutes before you guys came to get me," I said, absently playing with a small rip in my old T-shirt.

He nodded, looking away, seeming to dismiss the conversation. "How's your leg?" he asked, still looking away.

My eyebrows raised in thought, now remembering my lacerated limb for the first time since the previous night. "It hasn't given me any trouble since last night, actually. After my mom cleaned it out, I didn't really notice it," I answered.

"That's good," he said absently.

I nodded. "Thank you for asking," I said, pulling my arms behind my back and clasping my hands together.

After it was silent a few more moments Renji spoke up again. "What's her name?" he asked, causing one of my eyebrows to raise in question.

"Huh? Who?"

"Your mother. I never caught her name," he said, looking back up at me innocently.

I couldn't stop the sour expression that crossed my features. "Hiromi," I said through a clenched jaw. _Why don't you just ask me for her number, you jerk?_ I thought.

He didn't seem to notice my escalating anger, he just nodded. "What's it mean?" he asked, not really seeming all that interested.

"Broadminded beauty," I answered.

"Hm...It suits her," he said bluntly, surprising me.

But it didn't surprise me enough to stop the dripping chagrin to enter my tone. "Yeah, I noticed you acknowledge that about her right away," I said, a glare crossing my features as I crossed my arms over my chest.

He looked up at me, confusion and frustration in his expression. "What does that mean?" he asked stupidly.

"I saw you check her out when you brought me home," I retorted.

"So what if I did? Why does it matter?" he asked.

I opened my mouth to answer but quickly shut it, my glare deepening.

"Well?" he asked, staring me down. "Why do you care?"

"Because," I started, my voice calmer, but my expression just as hard. "That's my mother. And that's _gross_."

Renji continued to stare at, looking angry, but soon his mask of anger broke and he laughed loudly. Blood flooded my cheeks as he sat there and laughed at me.

"What are you laughing at?!" I retorted, trying to look more mad than embarrassed.

"You!" he exclaimed. "You're mad at me because I checked your mom out...and you thought it was _gross_?"

More blood seemed to rush to my head as he continued to embarrass me. "Yes!" I said, stomping a foot. "Stop laughing at me! I'm being serious!"

He held a hand up to me, his laughter subsiding. He smiled up at me genuinely. "Well, I'm sorry if I grossed you out," he said, laughing again as he barely finished the sentence.

"Knock it off!" I shouted, noticing Ichigo enter his room then.

He cocked an eyebrow, looking at me for an answer. "What's going on?" he asked, looking confused but more amused.

I was about to answer when Renji beat me to it, having calmed down from his second laughing fit. "Mina's mad at me because I checked her mom out and she thinks it's gross," he said, still smiling.

Ichigo smiled too, looking over at me. I thought he was going to join in on ridiculing me, but instead he turned back to Renji, still smiling, and said, "That is kind of gross, Renji. She's really young compared to you," he said.

Renji shook his head, still amused. "You humans don't understand. Age doesn't matter that much when you're dead," he said, directing his smile back at me, I assumed to tease me some more.

"Well," Ichigo said, "whatever. Rukia forgives you guys, and she said you can go to bed now," he finished.

"She had no reason to be mad at me," Renji said.

Ichigo shrugged. "Well, she was," he answered.

I nodded, ignoring the jerk. "Thank you, Ichigo." I said, leaving and going to the room Rukia had gained since living in the Kurosaki home. She told me that I would be staying in the same bed as her because there weren't enough blankets to make a bed on the floor and the couch wasn't comfortable enough. She seemed fine and quickly accepted my apology, but she would not speak of the matter at all.

I laid in her bed, which seemed to be just big enough for the small girl and myself, and rested against the wall, half covered up, but comfortable. There was a window right above me, allowing me to peer out in the hours I seemed to stay awake, listening to the light, airy snores of the petite woman beside me and thinking about the obnoxious jerk in the room down the hall.

* * *

I had a very hard time sleeping that night. I finally fell into a very shallow sleep around one-thirty, but woke twenty minutes later. I noticed that a thunder storm had snuck up on the town in the few minutes I had slept. I heard light rain hit the roof turning into pelting rain within minutes. The thunder rolled in the distance, growing louder as the storm lingered over Karakura Town, the lightning becoming brighter as it approached the sleeping town shyly.

I hated storms like that and of course I couldn't sleep through it. I turned on my side and absently scooted closer to Rukia's sleeping form, feeling a little uncomfortable, but not caring. I was too afraid to care.

The stormy weather reminded me of how my father used to comfort me during this type of storm, forming tears to well up in my eyes. I closed my eyes and forced the sadness away, only allowing the memory of my father's calming presence to bring me into full unconsciousness.

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Okay, there's chapter six! :D

A lot of bickering, neh? Ha ha, hope you enjoyed!

Please review and let me know what you thought!


	7. Surfaced Feelings

Okay, I'm back! :D

So, here we go, chapter seven! :7

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_Mina's POV:_

I woke up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes immediately. I rolled over onto my back, grabbing a handful of the sheets absently. Sitting up, I noticed that Rukia was no longer next to me, making me wonder what time it was. I knew I had fallen asleep pretty late, but I couldn't have slept in that long. And it didn't matter how tired I was, I would've felt Rukia get out of bed. Or at least I thought so.

I glanced over at and saw a clock on Rukia's dresser. It was already eight-thirty. I sighed and sat up, slipping my legs over the side of Rukia's bed and standing. I stepped out of the bedroom, looking up and down the hall, and decided to check in Ichigo's room. I approached his door and knocked quietly. No response. I knocked again, only to hear nothing again. I opened the door slowly and looked in to see Ichigo's empty room, his bed neatly made with extra blankets folded at the foot of it, I assumed the blankets Renji used during the night. I sighed and slid the door closed.

_They must be downstairs._ I thought, turning to walk down the hall, and descending the stairs. I still didn't see anyone, so I walked into the kitchen, finally spotting Ichigo and Rukia at the kitchen table, eating breakfast. I approached them and sat in the chair across from Ichigo absently, smiling at them. "Good morning," I said, pushing some hair out of my face.

Rukia returned the smile and said, "Good morning, Mina. Did you sleep okay?"

"Yes, thank you," I lied, holding back a yawn.

She nodded, her smile widening. "That's good," she said. I just noticed how tired Rukia looked as she rubbed her large, violet eyes. "At least someone did," she said, resting her head on Ichigo's shoulder. Her eyes slowly closed as a sigh escaped her lips. My smile widened and I expected to see Ichigo stiffen or push her away or something. To my surprise he only patted her on the back and continued eating his cereal.

That's when I noticed that the _jerk_ was missing. "Where's Renji?" I asked.

"He's taking a shower," Ichigo said, not looking up at me. "If you need to take one, you can once he's out."

I nodded, looking around once he was done speaking to me.

Rukia nudged Ichigo lightly in the stomach with her elbow. "Don't be rude," she started, still not opening her eyes. "Aren't you going to offer her any breakfast?"

"Oh," Ichigo said, carefully pulling away from Rukia and standing, picking up his now empty bowl. "What do you want for breakfast?" He grabbed Rukia's cereal bowl also, stepping into the kitchen and rinsing the bowls out in the sink.

"Nothing, thank you," I said, smiling at a slightly aggravated Rukia. "I'm not hungry."

"You sure?" Ichigo asked, returning only to pull Rukia to her feet and head to the living room. I followed.

"Yes, I'm sure. Thank you though," I said, sitting on the couch. Ichigo sat on the other side, Rukia sitting next to him. To both mine and Ichigo's surprise, she grabbed the couch pillow out from behind Ichigo, laid it in his lap, and laid down with her head on the pillow and her feet resting on my legs. She sighed and allowed her arm to cover her eyes tiredly, not seeming to notice Ichigo's surprise, but also not seeming to care.

Ichigo's face heated quickly but acted as if he weren't embarrassed, patting Rukia's head lightly. "You're really that tired?" he asked absently.

She nodded slightly, turning on her side, facing his stomach, and curled up, causing his face to turn a darker shade of red. Although this was plenty entertaining, I stood and turned to them, still smiling. "I'm gonna go get ready for my shower," I said, directing my smile to a still red Ichigo. He nodded.

"The towels are under the sink and you can use whatever's in there," he said, avoiding my gaze. I thanked him and headed back up the stairs.

As I turned the corner to enter the hallway, I ran into something that felt like a wall and fell back on my butt, grunting. "Walk much?" I heard him ask, causing me to glare up at him. "What?" Renji started, smiling down at me. "Still mad at me?"

I sighed, ignoring him, my cheeks heating up at the thought of the previous night. I started to stand using the wall as my support, but Renji grabbed my arm and aided me the rest of the way. I thought of pulling away, but decided not too. He was just being nice and, although I was still annoyed at him, I didn't deny his attempt to be kind. I attempted to walk around him to get to Rukia's room, but he stepped in front of me.

"Well? Are you?" he asked, still amused.

I sighed again, louder. "Yeah, kind of," I said, folding my arms over my chest and finally looked at him.

He nodded and shrugged. "Sorry," he said, being more serious now, but still smiling. He wasn't teasing me anymore, that was good.

"It's fine," I said, not allowing my facial expression to change, although I could feel a smile tug at the corners of my mouth.

"So, are we okay?" he asked.

"Yes, Renji," I said, slightly annoyed.

"Okay," he said, just standing there.

"...Can I get through now? I need to go take a shower," I said.

He nodded, his smile widening as he stepped in front of me again. He laughed and patted me on the shoulder absently before stepping aside. I shook my head and went into Rukia's room, grabbing my bag, and then entered the steam-filled bathroom. It was so hot in the small room, I wondered just how hot the water was. After I undressed and got in, turning the water on, I knew.

"OW!" I screamed, pulling away from scolding water. Someone knocked on the door and then I heard a small voice say, "Are you okay in there?" I recognized it as Yuzu and said, "Yes, sorry. The water was a little hot, that's all."

She said, "Okay," and with that she left. I sighed, waited for the water to cool down, and then continued with my shower. I took a longer one this time, getting out about a half an hour after entering. I dried off and got dressed in the skinny jeans and tank top my mother had packed for me, not bothering to wait for my hair to dry before putting it up in a pony tail, by long bangs falling back into my face. I took my things back to Rukia's room before returning downstairs.

Ichigo and Rukia were still in on the couch, Rukia now asleep, and Renji was on the floor. I sat back down on the couch, carefully lifting Rukia's legs and laying them over my lap. "Could you take a hotter shower?" I asked, looking down at Renji, smiling slightly.

He returned the gesture and shrugged.

I looked over at Ichigo and smiled. "So," I started. "What are we doing today?"

He blinked. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"What are we going to do today?" I repeated, not knowing how to rephrase myself.

He shrugged, still not fully understanding, it seemed. "I don't know, ask Rukia."

"Okay," I said, shaking Rukia's leg. "Rukia, wake up for a second."

"That's not a good idea," Ichigo said.

Rukia's head shot up and she glared at me. "What do you want?" she snapped, annoyed.

"Uh...," I started, surprised by her sudden outburst. "I'm...I'm sorry, I just wanted to know what we were going to do today."

"Oh," she said, her glare subsiding. "I don't know." She sat there thinking for a second before she smiled at me pleasantly. "I'm not going to be much fun until I get a nap. Why don't you and Renji go take a walk?" she said, causing my eyebrows to raise and my cheeks heat up. _Is this revenge for last night?_

"And what about Ichigo?" I asked. "He can come too, can't he?" I returned a smile as hers slightly faltered from my question.

"Ichigo can do what he pleases, but I want to talk to him about something. If he doesn't mind, I think we'll talk once you and Renji leave," she said, her smile widening in defeat.

I held back a sigh and looked at Renji in question. He looked annoyed too, but stood. I stood also, turning around and looking down at Rukia when she said, "Have fun." Now she was grinning at me.

I returned the grin again, nodding. "You too," I said, causing her brows to knit together as she continued to grin. She looked so evil, I couldn't help but laugh a little.

I turned back to Renji and headed for the door, slipping on my converse and leaving, not bothering to tie the shoe strings. I walked slowly, waiting for Renji. Once he started walking, I practically had to jog to keep up with him as he took his normal strides. He didn't seem to notice me at all as he walked down the road, his hands in his pockets. I glanced up at him a few times before saying, "You okay?"

He nodded, still not looking down at me. He looked annoyed, but sort of upset too. That worried me, although I tried to deny it. _Why would _I _care if he was upset? _I thought.

"Is something bothering you?" I asked in spite of myself.

He shook his and glanced down at me. "Why would you think that?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow slightly.

I shrugged. "You just seem upset or something. You're unusually quiet," I answered, smiling up at him.

He rolled his eyes, smiling also.

"So," I started, changing the subject. "Do you even know where you're going?"

"No, not really. Do you?" he asked.

"Of course I don't, I'm just following you," I said.

He laughed, his smile growing. We approached the park and I decided to go in, so I grabbed Renji's arm and pulled him along. When he realized where I was going and started following, I let him go. We continued to walk through the park silently but comfortably. After a few minutes Renji grabbed my arm and pulled me onto a park bench next to himself. He took up most of the room on the bench, so I was closer to him than I would have liked to be, but I ignored it.

I sat with my hands in my lap, waiting for him to say something, but he just stared off. The way he pulled me down like that seemed like he had something to say, but I was obviously wrong. Before I had the chance to think much more about it he laid his arm on the bench behind my shoulders, surprising me. As if we weren't close enough. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, but Renji didn't seem to notice.

He sighed tiredly before resting his head on my shoulder, causing me to stiffen slightly. I looked down at him and noticed his eyes were closed. He looked exhausted, so I didn't bother pushing him away. Although, I don't think I would've if he didn't look so tired.

"Ar-are you okay, Renji?" I asked, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks.

He nodded, not opening his eyes. "Just tired," he said. "Thanks."

"No problem," I said, forcing myself to relax a little. I turned toward him carefully and looked back down at him. He looked so calm and relaxed, he looked like he was asleep. Smiling, I patted his face lightly, my cheeks continuing to burn.

He opened his eyes and looked up at me without moving his head from my shoulder. Returning the gesture, he teasingly touched the side of my face with his massive hand mockingly, causing my smile to widen and my face to darken a shade.

We sat there for a few minutes before Renji stood and pulled me to my feet. We spent walk back to Ichigo's house in a comfortable silence. When we returned I saw that Ichigo and Rukia were still on the couch, Rukia laying with her head still on the pillow in his lap and Ichigo absently messing with Rukia's hair, staring off. He didn't seem to notice us come in.

I looked down at Rukia, smiling widely. "Did you have a good chat?" I asked.

She returned the gesture. "It was fine. Have a good walk?"

"It was great, thank you," I said, my smile widening.

Rukia raised her eyebrows playfully. "Great, huh?" I nodded and saw Renji roll his eyes.

Rukia and I both laughed, finding a very odd way to get along. Though I seemed to be developing different types of relationships with each of these people, I felt so close to them for just meeting them not even a week prior. Rukia and I seemed to be really close if we were able to pick at each other with such personal subjects and still get along. Ichigo was kind and was always ready to defend me if I needed him, he seemed to be like a brother, not that I would really know, as I am an only child. But I was guessing that's what it felt like to have a brother. And Renji...I thought I might end up liking him after all. I was so happy I had made such interesting friends at my new school.

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:D Renji's a-flirtin! :)

Sorry for the lame ending, I've been working on this for EVER and I just wanted to end it! lol, sorry.

Hope you enjoyed. Please review and tell what you think!


	8. A Walk To Remember

Ello! :) I'm back and hopefully it won't take me all day to write this chapter, like the last one. Ha ha.

Okay, so here's chapter eight. :8

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_ Renji's POV:_

About an hour after we returned from our walk, Mina said it was around time she got home. Rukia suggested I take her home, and though I really didn't feel like it, I agreed. She was silent for the first few minutes, staring ahead of us. I stayed quiet also.

We were still walking in silence when she suddenly stopped and looked up at me, her eyes wide. "What? What's wrong?" I asked, but before she could answer my soul pager went off, detecting a hollow. I pulled out the device and saw that it was heading toward us. I looked back down at her and cocked an eyebrow. "Did you feel that?" I asked.

She nodded, still looking scared. "Is that a hollow?" she questioned, her grip on the straps of her back pack tightening.

"Yeah, it is. Calm down, okay? I'll deal with it," I said, pulling a small green pill from my pocket and popping it in my mouth. I was quickly ejected from my gigai and turned around to face them. "Take care of her," I told the mod soul, who nodded and took a step closer to Mina. She looked from me to the mod soul, her brow creasing.

I ignored her confused look and took off in the direction of the hollow. I unsheathed my zanpakuto as I approached the white masked creature. It didn't move and didn't seem to notice me, so I took that as an opportunity to kill the hollow in one blow. But it was smarter than it looked. It moved out of my field of vision in a movement like shunpo, reappearing behind me. One of it's limbs swung at me, but I used flash step as well and dodged it. _What the hell?_ I thought, putting a hand over my zanpakuto. "Howl Zabimaru!"

My sword grew into its Shikai form as I tightened my grip on the hilt, glaring at the hollow, annoyed. I didn't really think it was necessary to use Zabimaru's Shikai, but I was ready to end this. Using flash step again, I appeared in front of the hollows face and swung, striking it in the center of it's white mask. The hollow disintegrated, giving a final cry. I returned Zabimaru to his normal form and returned him to my waist. When I turned around I saw Mina and my gigai watching me. Mina still looked freaked out and for some reason the stupid mod soul had his arms around her like he was restraining her.

I sighed before approaching them. "What are you doing?" I asked the mod soul.

"Taking care of her, Sir!" it said. Mina looked at me with wide eyes as it straightened up, lifting her off the ground.

"Let her go, you idiot!" I demanded. "I meant protect her if that thing got away from me, not strangle her!"

"Yes, Sir!" it answered, dropping her carelessly.

"Ow! You moron, you dropped me on my leg!" she said, punching my gigai's leg angrily. The mod soul didn't seem to feel her punch and just looked at me for further instruction.

I rolled my eyes at it and grabbed Mina's arm, helping her up. "You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks," she answered absently. "What's wrong with that thing? Is it brain dead or something?" she asked, but she didn't wait for an answer before she turned to it. "You don't just drop a girl!" she said, scolding it.

The mod soul turned to her then cocking an eyebrow. "I was just following orders," it said innocently. I sighed and returned to my gigai, replacing the small green pill back in my pocket, not allowing their conversation to continue.

I continued to walk toward her house, making sure she was following me. When she caught up to me I slowed my pace so she didn't have to struggle so much to keep up. I glanced down at her before asking, "How did you know that hollow was coming?"

She looked back up at me, cocking an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I thought it was normal for me to be able to sense them since I've been around you guys lately."

"Yeah, it is, but you knew it was coming before my soul pager saw it. My soul pager is made to spot a hollow right as it appears. How could you have known it was coming before it even arrived?" I asked, knowing she wouldn't have an answer.

Her small shoulders rose slightly. "I don't know."

I felt my brows knit together in thought as we continued to walk. She cleared her throat and I looked down at her.

"You okay, Renji? Is something wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"No," I started, shaking my head. "Everything's fine." I allowed my face to return to a neutral expression, ignoring my curiosity about the girl beside me. I put my hands in my pocket and stared ahead, absently rolling the pill between my fingers.

We continued toward her house silently. Mina sighed tiredly, causing me to glance down at her. She looked like she was having trouble keeping her eyes open even as she walked. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, not noticing me look at her.

"Have trouble sleeping last night?" I asked, now gaining her attention.

She nodded, a small smile appearing on her face. "Yeah, sort of," she answered, returning my gaze for a second before she moved her eyes to the path in front of us. That was the first time I noticed how tall she was. Well, not tall compared to me, but tall compared to most other girls. The top of her head easily reached my shoulder, making it easy for her to look directly at me when she chose to.

I was practically studying her face by then and I began to look down, noticing her slim frame. It didn't take long before I noticed myself staring, and before I caught myself, she noticed too. She raised her eyebrows questioningly, her face turning red noticeably. I laughed nervously, scratching the back of my neck. "Sorry," I said simply.

"What were you looking at?" she asked, causing me to look at her with an expression that told her just how much of an idiot she was.

"You," I said. This caused her face to darken even more.

"Why?!" she asked, stopping and taking a step away from me.

I rolled my eyes. "Are you serious?" She just nodded. "I was checking you out," I said, tired of how slow she was being. I was surprised at how blunt I was being, but I was too frustrated to care.

She just stared at me, silent, for a few moments before asking, "...Why?"

My eyebrow twitched in frustration and I shook my head. "Forget it, let's go!" I demanded, continuing to walk in my normal pace, my hands fists at my sides. She followed quickly, her brow creasing.

"No, wait!" she said, grabbing the straps of her back pack absently. "I know _why_, but...why? Why are you suddenly looking at me like that?" she asked, her face still stained red.

"It's not sudden," I admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"I pretty much did the same thing the first time I saw you, you were just reading, you didn't notice," I answered honestly, not looking back at her.

"...You did?" she asked and I nodded. It was silent for awhile after that.

The silence was very uncomfortable, so I decided to change the subject. I cleared my throat before saying, "You still mad that I checked your mom out?" unable to stop the smile that crossed my features.

I thought for sure she'd get mad, but she just kept the blank, confused look on her face as she slowly shook her head. "...No, I suppose not," she said, surprising me.

"I...was just joking, Mina," I said.

She nodded and looked over at me, noticing my expression and smiling slightly. Soon after that we approached her apartment door. "Well," I started. "See you later," I said, starting to turn around.

"Wait," Mina said, causing me to turn around. "Do you...want to stay for awhile?" she asked sheepishly. When I didn't answer she said, "My mom's home, so there'll be plenty to look at."

I laughed loudly before accepting her offer.

* * *

_Mina's POV:_

Renji didn't stay long, about an hour. We just sat in my living room and talked a little. It was surprisingly comfortable. Although, we didn't talk about anything important. Honestly, I tried to get to know him a little better, but he didn't really allow it. If I asked him anything about his childhood or about his opinion on things, he just shrugged it off and changed to subject. I let it go for now, but knew I wasn't going to just forget about it.

After he left my mom started bombarding me with questions right away. "Where were the other two?" she asked, raising her eyebrows and smiling at me.

"At home. He was just walking me home and I asked it he wanted to hang out more, to be polite. That's all," I said.

"I'm surprised he walked you home," she said, her smile widening. "He doesn't look like the gentleman type."

I shrugged. "Rukia made him, pretty much," I answered, trying to push the topic aside, but of course Mother wouldn't make it that easy.

"He didn't seem to mind it," she answered.

I sighed and shook my head. "He's just my friend, Mother," I said, obviously annoyed.

"If you say so," she said.

I put my hands on my hips and looked back at her. "Well, I do."

She shrugged. "I don't see why that's all he has to be, though. I mean, he seemed to enjoy himself while he was with you and you seemed so happy. Besides, he's really hot!"

I glared at her, still disgusted. "Ew, Mom! That's so gross!" I said, trying to cover my anger with disgust.

"What? I'm not that old! Besides, he doesn't look your age. He looks like he's twenty-one," she said, still smiling. My glare deepened, but she continued. "If you aren't interested, tell him I am." I know she was teasing me, but it really made me mad.

"What's wrong with you?!" I screamed, unable to hide how upset I was from affecting my tone. "Your husband _just_ died! And you're already thinking about someone else?! And to make it worse, he's **my** age!" I shouted, pointing a shaking finger at myself.

She stopped smiling, her brows almost forming a frown, but not quite. She was trying to stay strong, but I didn't care. "Mina...," she started quietly, but I cut her off.

"No! Don't even try to defend yourself! How do you think Dad would feel if he knew he meant so little to you?!" I asked, tears running down my face before I stormed into my room and slammed the door. I locked the door, kicked my back pack across the room and fell to the floor on my knees. I readjusted myself so I was sitting on my butt with my legs drawn to my chest, and I laid my head on my knees. I sat there, crying for what seemed like forever. When I calmed down I looked at the clock and saw that it was only going on six o' clock. I crawled into bed and forced myself to sleep, doing anything I could to escape my thoughts.

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Okay, what a twist at the end, right?!

Anyways, hope you liked it. :D

Reviews!!! They feed the hobo that lives under my bed!


	9. Confessions

Okay, so I'm back again! :) So, I'm not sure how this is going to go because I'm trying to write this and chapter five of _The Mist_, so yeah. Good luck to me, right? lol.

Here we go! :D :9

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_Mina's POV:_

The next morning I got up early to get ready for school. Usually me and my mother talk and have breakfast together, but I was in no mood. I took a quick shower, got dressed in my uniform, and left, not bothering to eat or say a word to Mom. I walked to school on my usual route, taking my time. I was in no hurry since I got up early, so I took the chance to think about everything that had happened since I moved. Since Dad died. _Okay, so I've started a new school. I've made friends. I don't know what one of them is to me, I don't know where he stands with me at the moment. All complicated things. And...I have to deal with all that without any help from Dad._ I thought, feeling a frown cross my features. _Meanwhile, I have to worry about Mom disrespecting the dead. I can't believe how rude and childish she's being. _My frown had turned into a scowl, but I quickly replaced it with a neutral look as I approached the school. I had to ignore my problems for now. I was at school and if anyone noticed there was something wrong, they'd ask. And I was not in the mood to talk about anything.

I entered the classroom and sat at my desk, being the first one. The sensei was at her desk getting things ready for the lessons today and noticed right away that I had arrived. She stopped what she was doing and directed her gaze to me. "Aburamai? What are you doing here so early?" she asked.

I didn't look back at her, I just answered, "What? Am I not allowed to be early? Which would you rather I be, late or early? Or do I have to be right on time?" My tone was dripping with pathetic sarcasm as I had a harder time controlling my emotions than I thought I would. I felt tears sting my eyes, but I took a deep breathe as she cocked a concerned eyebrow and calmed down.

"Mina...is something bothering you?" she asked, causing me to have trouble to control my composure.

I nodded and took another deep breathe before saying, "No, I'm sorry. I'm fine. Just...It's not the best day, that's all," I said, looking away from her. She nodded, still looking concerned, but she returned to her business and left me alone like I wanted.

Not too long after that people started coming into the classroom in groups and eventually Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji all arrived. They approached my desk, smiling down at me. I returned the gesture as best as I could, but they all seemed to see through my mask. "What's wrong, Mina? Are you alright?" Ichigo asked, his furrowed brow creasing with worry.

I nodded, putting more effort into convincing them I was fine than I had used toward the sensei. "I'm fine," I lied, but they still didn't believe me. My fake smile must have been as pitiful as it felt.

"Mina...are you sure you're okay?" Rukia asked, looking just as concerned as Ichigo.

"Yeah," Renji said. "Did something happen?"

I shook my head, not willing to look at him. I took another deep breathe, but this time it didn't do me any good. I couldn't help the tears that flowed from my eyes. I looked down, avoiding all of their concerned gazes, feeling uncomfortable and sorry for probably making them uncomfortable too. I felt a hand on my shoulder but wasn't sure who's it was, Ichigo's or Renji's. "I'm-I'm sorry," I said, wiping my eyes.

I heard Ichigo say, "It's fine," his voice sounding closer than before, so I assumed it was his hand on my shoulder.

"It's just," I started, still not looking up at them. I allowed my hair to fall from behind my ear and hide my face. "My mom said something yesterday...it just bothered me, I haven't gotten over it, that's all," I explained, wiping fresh tears from my eyes.

"What did she say?" Rukia asked, kneeling down next to me by Ichigo's legs. When I didn't answer she lightly patted my arm and said, "It's okay, you can tell us."

I nodded slowly and finally looked up at them, my face already heating up. "She said...Well, she was asking me about Renji," I started, getting a confused look from said redhead. "And she started teasing me and stuff. She just made a dumb comment. I knew it was a joke, but I thought it was really rude to my Dad. I mean, he _just_ died a few months ago and she was already making..._comments_ about other guys," I continued, my face burning as I still avoided Renji's surprised gaze. "It just bothered me and made me...think about Dad a lot. I'm sorry, it's stupid," I said, looking away again.

"No, it's not," Rukia said. "You have every right to be upset with your mother," she continued, standing now. "But maybe her way of grieving is just...pretending like it never happened. I think she was just trying to be strong for you. Trying too hard. Did it seem like that?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, kind of," I said, now noticing the attention we seemed to be getting, but ignored them.

She nodded also. "You should let her know that she doesn't need to try so hard. I think it would help her a lot," she said, patting my head lightly.

Looking back up at her, I smiled. "Thank you," I said, now sparing both Ichigo and Renji a glance. "All of you."

They all nodded, but before they could say anything else class started. They went to their seats, each patting me on the shoulder before doing so. I stiffened slightly at Renji's touch, although I wasn't sure why. I ignored it and did as best as I could to focus on the lesson being taught.

* * *

I soon gave up on paying attention. I wasn't in the mood to care, so I made any excuse I could to move around. I asked to go to the bathroom and stayed in there for a good fifteen minutes. I blew my nose like seven times. And finally, without thinking, I broke my pencil on purpose to get up and sharpen it. It wasn't until I was walking toward the sharpener that I remembered Renji's desk was next to it, but there was no turning back now. As I approached Renji looked up at me like he was going to say something, but he didn't, he just looked at me. I sighed quietly and sharpened my pencil

As I was about to leave Renji grabbed my hand and pulled me back to his desk. "You okay?" he asked. It was the most serious I had seen Renji before, but I still couldn't help the small smile that found it's way on my face.

"Yes, thank you, I'm fine," I answered.

He nodded, but when I tried to walk away again he pulled me back. "I'm sorry I was a problem yesterday," he said.

I looked at him confused for a moment before saying, "It wasn't your fault, Renji, don't apologize. It was my mom that upset me, not you," I answered, causing him to nod again. "Don't worry about it, okay?" I asked, lightly tugging on his hand as I noticed he hadn't released mine yet. I allowed a wider smile to cross my features as I did so.

He smiled back while saying, "Alright." He lightly squeezed my hand before letting go, allowing me to go back to my seat. Surprisingly enough, the sensei didn't seem to have a problem with our little conversation.

* * *

By the time lunch had rolled around, my problem with my mother was completely out of my mind. All I could think about was Renji, though, so I was still in a complicated state of mind. But it was a lot better than being angry. I was confused, but happy. I actually felt like something good was happening after my fathers death. I hadn't expected anything or anyone to make that happy so soon. My relationship with Renji, whatever type of relationship it was, was the best complication I had ever encountered before.

Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji all waited at my desk as I took my time getting my lunch. As we approached the group of others we ate lunch with on the roof, I noticed Keigo grinning at me, showing me that he saved a seat next to him for me. I grimaced as discretely as I could, dreading sitting next to him again, but thankfully Renji noticed too. He sat next to Keigo where I was supposed to sit, according to Keigo, and pulled me down next to him. I couldn't help but smile at Renji and mouthing "Thank you." When Keigo wasn't looking.

Lunch started off normal, although I spent most of my time talking to just Renji. Ichigo and Rukia mostly talked to each other, spending most of their time flirting, and I didn't really know the others, so I talked to Renji. Although, that's obviously not the only reason I focused on him.

When there was about ten minutes left of lunch I absently walked across the roof to a trash can and threw some trash away, really only doing it to move. I had been walking around all morning and still felt like moving. As I approached the group I heard Keigo mention me and focused on the conversation he was having with Renji. I was far enough away, I guess he thought I couldn't hear his obnoxiously loud voice. "You two seem pretty close, did something happen this weekend?" he asked an obviously annoyed Renji.

"No," Renji answered. "But if something had, I don't see how that's _your_ business." Renji sounded almost mad as he replied, his brows knitting together.

Keigo shrugged. "I just like her, that's all," he answered, causing Renji's glare to deepen quite noticeably.

"That still doesn't make her any of your business," Renji answered.

"Well, who's business is she?" the scrawny boy asked, also looking mad. "Yours?"

"I didn't say that," Renji replied, seeming to do so through his teeth.

I approached them then, sitting down and not pretending like I hadn't heard them. "Good, Mina's here, she'll tell me the truth," Keigo said, turning his gaze away from the angry redhead and to me. "Did something happen between you two this weekend?" he asked, getting everyone's attention.

Surprisingly enough, I didn't blush like I thought I would. I shook my head, seeming as calm as ever. "No. We hung out at Ichigo and Rukia's house and then at my house for a little while, but nothing _happened_."

Keigo's eyes widened as if I had said we murdered his mother. "It did happen!" he exclaimed over-dramatically.

I sighed. "I don't understand why you're freaking out?" I asked, too annoyed with the idiot to care that everyone was staring at me. "What's so horrible about us hanging out?"

"Because! It's so obvious that you two are into each other!" he shouted. "I didn't even get a chance to charm you yet!"

Another sigh escaped my lips, but I couldn't hold in my embarrassment anymore. My cheeks burned unbearably at his accusation, but I still managed to keep my tone cool. "I don't know what you're talking about? Am I not allowed to have male friends?"

"You're friends with Ichigo, but you don't treat him the same way!" Keigo exclaimed, too loud.

I thought about it and decided that if Ichigo and Rukia were going to let Renji and I get picked at like this, I was taking them down with us. "Yeah, but Ichigo's always too caught up in Rukia, I couldn't talk to him as much," I said, smiling at them as they both glared back at me. I heard the short haired girl, Tatsuki, laugh at this.

But Keigo was not that easily distracted. "You still treat them differently!"

I shrugged, deciding this was a good enough time to admit how I felt to everyone. "Well, so what if I'm "into" Renji?" I asked, noticing his surprised face, but ignoring it and focusing on Keigo. "What's it to you?"

He looked at me, obviously disappointed. "I...I liked you...," he said, looking like he was going to weep.

I rolled my eyes. "You barely know me. And, since I'm being so brutally honest," I started, noticing that my cheeks weren't as warm as I imagined they would be when I said what I had just said. "You creep me out."

I regretted saying this right after I said it. This started to water works. I sighed, but thankfully the bell saved me. I stood and started toward class, expecting Renji to stop me or something, but he didn't. _Oh, great, _I thought. _Did I scare him away by being so forward?!_ _What did I just do?_

* * *

It didn't take long before Renji eased my worries. After the last class of the day I said goodbye to Ichigo and Rukia and avoided Renji, as I thought he was avoiding me. So, I started toward my house, glad to be out of the school. Renji followed me and easily caught up, slowing down to keep pace with me. He didn't say anything, gave me no explanation of what he was doing, so I was pretty annoyed right away.

I sighed before saying, "Can I help you?"

"I...," he started, running a hand through his ponytail absently. "You were just...messing with that idiot today, right?" he asked, causing me to frown.

"Is that what you want?" I asked, my cheeks heating up immediately.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Uh...what?"

"Is that what you want?" I repeated. "Would you rather I not have meant that?"

"I...," he started again, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not...necessarily...," he said, his face tinting red as he avoided my surprised gaze.

I nodded, the shock draining from my face. "Okay...then...," I said, unsure of what to do or say next. But Renji took care of that.

He grabbed my arm, stopping me from walking, and turned me toward him. "Look," he said, being serious again. "I am _not_ interested in any sort of...relationship. Especially with a human girl. I have to focus on why I'm here. I have to do my job, and I can't be distracted by _you_. I have way too much crap going on to be caught up with some girl," he said, almost sounding angry.

I glared up at him, pulling my arm away from him. "Yeah, well, I'm not interested in a relationship either!" I retorted. "I just lost my father, I'm busy looking after my mom! And I'm having a hard enough time focusing on my school work, let alone with _you_ as a distraction!" I shouted, my glare deepening, although my heart clenched in my chest. "I thought we were friends, I don't understand why you're being such a jerk!"

He sighed quietly before continuing as if I hadn't just spoken. "The last thing I need is another distraction...but I can't get you out of my head! It's so wrong, you're just a kid, but I can't help it," he said.

"I'm not a kid," I said, calming down, letting the hurt sink in. "I'm 16, I'm not a kid."

He laughed, shaking his head slightly. "You are to me. I just...I don't see you as a kid."

"Well you shouldn't!" I continued, attempting to be angry again, so I could keep the little shred of dignity I had left. "It doesn't matter! Just leave me alone, you jerk!" I shouted, glaring back up at him.

He looked at me, silent for awhile, causing my frown to falter as he stepped closer to me. He quickly bent closer to me and pressed his lips to mine, causing my eyes to shoot open. My face was burning horribly as I stood there, allowing him to _kiss_ me. He pulled away from me and stood up straight. I looked up at him, still in shock.

"But...you said-," I started before he cut me off.

"I guess...I don't care," he said, seeming to be just as surprised as I was at his actions. He stood there, looking back at me, silent.

"I...," I started, unable to allow the shock to pass through me. "I should be getting home."

He nodded. "Yeah...," he said.

"Uh," I said, not sure how to dismiss this moment. I lifted my hand like and idiot and waved slightly. "See you tomorrow," I said.

"See ya," he returned. I quickly turned and started home, still not believing he had just done that. _More complications,_ I thought, a wide smile spreading across my face. _But they're still good complications._

* * *

Okay! So, there's chapter nine! :D

Ha ha, I still don't have a plot, but something's happening now! ;)

Hope you all liked it, please review!

Oh, yeah, and writing chapter five of _The Mist_ at the same time...didn't work out so well. Ah ha, I focused all on this, ha ha! :)


	10. The Silent Agreement

Okay, so I'm back! ;D And this may be the last "fast update" for me. Sadly, I have to go back to school tomorrow. Spring Break...is officially over and I'm sad. I won't be able to spit out chapters as fast as before so, I'm sorry.

But, I will try to make chapter ten as good as it can be! :)

Anyhoo, here we go! :10

* * *

_Renji's POV:_

I stood there, watching Mina walk away, still shocked that I had...done that. Before I could really react, Rukia and Ichigo approached me, wide smiles on their faces.

"So, you're not interested, huh?" Rukia asked, her smile widening.

"Shut up," I said, ignoring her.

"I'm just saying, you looked pretty interested to me," she continued.

I sighed, though I could feel my face heat up slightly. "Just...shut up," I said, unable to let the shock run its course.

Ichigo laughed but just nudged Rukia. "Let's go home," he said, grabbing her arm.

She nodded. "You coming Renji?" she asked.

I shook my head slowly. "I'll...catch up with you guys later," I answered, not sure what I was actually going to do.

* * *

_Mina's POV:_

I went home right away, still pleasantly surprised. As I opened the door to the apartment, I heard my mom calling my name. I was surprised at how calm I was with her, not mad anymore. I ascended the stairs, looking directly at her. "Yes?" I asked, a smile still on my face.

She cocked an eyebrow at my expression, but still look somewhat upset. "Look, Honey, I'm really sorry about last night. I was just-" she started before I cut her off.

"It's fine," I said quickly. "I mean...I was a little harsh about it. I just...I didn't even think that maybe...that's how you've been grieving," I started, hearing Rukia's words echo in my head. "I had no right to just...snap at you like that. I'm really sorry," I continued.

She stared at me, surprised. "Wh-what?...," she asked.

"It's not your fault, Mom. You're being strong. For me. But I don't need you to be, I just need you to share the burden. I miss Dad too, but I can help you carry the burden," I answered, absently throwing my school bag to the floor.

Her brows furrowed, her eyes still wide. Tears spilled down her face for the first time since Dad had died. She closed the gap between us and hugged me tightly. I smiled and returned the gesture. "I'm sorry I was being so immature yesterday, Mom," I continued, but she just shook her head.

I stayed there with my mother for a good half an hour, allowing her to mourn properly. She eventually pulled away and told me she wanted to start making dinner. I told her I'd be in the shower after I made sure she was okay. Honestly, even though she had just started really mourning, she seemed happier. I entered the bathroom with the feeling that everything was going to be okay after all.

* * *

Renji's POV:

After I left the school I walked around for about a half an hour. I didn't know where I was going and eventually, without even realizing it, I ended up at Mina's apartment. I wasn't sure what I was doing there or what I was going to say to her, but I knocked on the door without a second thought.

To my surprise, Mina's mom answered the door. She looked just as surprised to see me, her eyebrows raising slightly as she seemed to tighten her grip on the doorknob. "Can I help you?"

I looked back down at her, absently shoving my hands in my pockets. "Uh...Is Mina home?"

She nodded. "Yeah, she's in the shower right now, do you want to wait?" she asked, a small smile crossing her features. Her eyes looked swollen like she had been crying.

"Uh, no...Thanks, I'll just talk to her tomorrow," I said, about to turn around.

"No, no, it's fine, come on in," she said, grabbing my arm and pulling me inside, her smile widening.

"Um...okay," I said as she continued to pull me up the stairs.

"She'll be out in a little while," Hiromi said, pushing me down on her couch. "Do you want somethng to drink?"

I shook my head. "No thanks."

"Do you need anything?"

"Nope," I answered.

She nodded and stood there in front of me, silent. She rested her elbows in opposite palms and returned her gaze to me, looking more serious. In this state, she looked exactly like Mina.

"Uh...Renji, right?" she asked. I nodded before she continued. "Do you know if something happened today?"

My eyebrows rose, surprised that she would ask. "...Like, what?" I asked.

"Did anything...weird happen to Mina today? She came home acting...a little strange," she continued.

_Crap, I _knew_ I shouldn't have touched her! Now she's just...acting weird!_ "What do you mean? How's she acting strange? Is she...alright?"

"Oh, yeah, she's fine. She was in a really good mood," she answered, surprising me. "She was just in a really bad mood this morning, and when she came home, she was so...happy. Did something happen?"

I scratched the back of my neck before answering, "Uh, nothing that I know of." It was surprisingly hard to lie to her, but I wasn't sure why.

She stared at me for a second before nodding. "Okay, well, thanks anyway," Hiromi said, smiling again.

We waited silently for the next few minutes. Hiromi offered to let me stay for dinner and I denied, making some sort of lame excuse that she accepted. Finally, Mina stepped out of a room I assumed to be the bathroom. She was leaning forward with a towel over her head, drying her hair. She was wearing a pair of black shorts that clung to her legs and didn't even reach half way down her thighs, making her legs look even longer. Along with it she wore a teal T-shirt with it. I caught myself staring before she pulled her long, curly hair over her shoulders as if fell half way down her back, and straightening up. Her eyebrows rose in surprise as she noticed me sitting on her couch.

"Renji? What are you doing here?" she asked, throwing her towel into the bathroom absently.

"I, uh...just wanted to-" I started, before her mother interrupted me.

"He wanted to see you," Hiromi said, smiling at her daughter.

Mina just rolled her eyes at her mother's comment and turned her attention back to me. "Let's go outside," she said, stepping toward the stairs and slipping on some flip-flops.

I nodded absently, knowing she couldn't see me, and pressed my hands to my knees while I stood, using them to support my weight. My legs were stiff from sitting still so long.

We walked down the stairs and exited her apartment silently. The wind had picked up, making it seem too cool for the time. I watched Mina, waiting for further instructions. She sat on the sidewalk outside of her apartment and looked up at me expectantly. I joined her, stretching my legs out in front of me, hearing my knees pop loudly.

She stared ahead of us, still quiet, as she absently spun a strand of hair around her finger. Concerned, I started to say something, but she beat me to it. "You didn't have to come. I know what you're going to say," she began, confusing me further. Instead of waiting for me to answer she smiled up at me, laughing when she saw my expression.

* * *

_Mina's POV:_

Honestly, I wasn't surprised that Renji had followed me home. I was expecting a visit from him soon, and I already knew what it was about. I knew he was going to tell me he made a mistake, he didn't mean to be so hasty with his actions. I knew what it was all about, I just predicted it when I saw his face after he kissed me. His intentions with this conversation were written all over his face and were clearly displayed by his nervous actions. So, I decided to put him out of his misery, just let him know I understood, even though I didn't. I also planned to try and change his mind, but I didn't really think I could.

I smiled up at him, surprised by how wide the smile was. I felt my teeth bare as I smiled. "You don't have to explain, I know you didn't mean it," I said when he still hadn't said anything.

His eyebrows rose in surprise to my comment. "I...don't?"

"No. It was pretty obvious that you were being impulsive and you didn't mean it," I answered.

"Hm...," he responded as he looked forward, his brow creasing in thought.

This confused me, causing my own brow to crease. "That _is_ what you were going to say, right?"

He nodded slightly. "Yeah...that's what I was going to say...," he answered.

"So, what's wrong?" I questioned, cocking my head to the side slightly.

"I don't...," he started, running a hand through his ponytail absently. "I don't know...I guess...," he sighed, frustrated with his inability to form a thought. "I know what I did was stupid...I wasn't thinking. But..."

I felt my eyebrows raise, surprised. "But...what?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I don't know."

"But...you still want to take a chance?" I asked, my smile returning to my face as I nudged him playfully with my elbow. He laughed quietly, his face slightly tinting red.

He sighed again before shrugging. "It's just...It's wrong. You're a kid, even if you deny it, you're a kid."

I rolled my eyes, but found a good point. "Ichigo and Rukia have the same age difference," I said.

Renji cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah...so?"

"So. They'll be together before we know it. It doesn't seem to bother them. And it doesn't bother me," I said.

"What are you talking about? They're friends," he said.

"You really haven't noticed?" I asked.

He changed the subject quickly. "It doesn't matter. It bothers me," he said.

I nodded slightly, turning my attention back to the scene in front of us. The wind was blowing even harder, causing a chill to travel down my spine. I drew my legs against my chest, wrapped my arms around them, and pulled them closer. Renji noticed and absently put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him, my head resting against his shoulder. My wet hair stuck to the side of my face.

"You're so stupid, coming out here like that," he said quietly.

I smiled and relaxed as I leaned against him. He slightly leaned back on his unoccupied hand. It was silent again and I took it as an advantage to continue our prior conversation. "So, how badly does it bother you?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes, a small smile appearing on his face. "You're really persistent, huh?"

I laughed and nodded. "Yep," I answered.

He shrugged slightly, being careful of me. "Not...too much, I guess," he answered.

"Really?" I asked, pulling my head off his shoulder to look up at him, surprised.

He nodded in response. "But, you know I'm going to leave all the time right? To Soul Society," he asked.

I nodded also. "Yeah. I know. But I don't care. I don't expect you to put me in front of everything, so don't worry."

He gave another curt nod, still looking ahead of us. We sat there silent for the next few minutes, both mulling over our silent agreement. Finally, Renji stood and pulled me to my feet also. "Well," he started. "I better go. Rukia's waiting for me at Ichigo's," he said absently, as if that weren't the real reason for leaving.

I ignored the excuse and nodded. "Alright," I answered, looking up at him. He looked over me, not seeming to focus on anything in particular. "Bye, I'll see you tomorrow," I said, trying to get him to respond.

He nodded again, finally returning my gaze, smiling. "See you," he said, turning around, and leaving. I watched him walk away absently, shocked that I had actually did it. With barely any effort at all, I had completely changed his mind and now we were..._Well, I guess we're dating,_ I thought, feeling myself smile warmly at the thought before slipping back into my apartment.

* * *

Okay, so, I'm sorry. Because of all my schoolwork and stuff, It took me over two freaking weeks to write this. :) It killed me, it really did, but now it's a weekend, and I have no plans, so I'll be writing as much as I want! :D Ha ha!

Anyhoo, hope you guys like this chapter. I actually have a plot in mind for this story, but it might be a little lame. It'll come through next chapter, promise! :P Thanks for hanging in there with me. I appreciate your patience.


	11. Sudden Absenses

Okay, I'm back! :D I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update, I'll try to do so more often. I just have a crap load of work I have to do for school and my orchestra went to contest and state these past two weekends, so it's been a tough few weeks. I'll do my best to update sooner though.

Anyhoo, here's chapter 11! :D

_Mina's POV:_

The day after Renji stopped my apartment I woke up feeling like the day was going to be alright. I looked forward to school more than I usually did, although I dreaded thinking about people's reaction to me and Renji. Especially Rukia's.

I woke up earlier than usual that morning, so I took twenty minutes to skillfully straighten my hair. Straight, it lay flatly over my back, stopping past my butt. Annoyed with it's length, I pulled it into a high ponytail, allowing my bangs to fall over my brow. I dressed in my normal school uniform and slipped on my shoes. After finishing my morning routine I said goodbye to my mother, kissed her on the cheek and left.

Reaching the school a few minutes early, I was surprised to see Ichigo sitting at his desk, alone. I approached him, feeling a single eyebrow raise in confusion. He had his head laying in his arms and didn't notice me until I tapped him on the shoulder. When he looked up at me I noticed dark circles under his eyes. He looked neutral today, his usual scowl missing.

"Oh, hey Mina," he said quietly, sounding as if he had just woken up.

"Hey. Are you okay?"

He nodded, absently running a hand through his orange mop.

"Well, where are Rukia and Renji?" I asked, not believing his silent answer.

"They're in Soul Society," he stated quieter, glancing at the door to see if anyone else had joined us.

Before he could say more, I asked "Why? Is everything okay?"

"Rukia's brother's sick. He's been ill for the last few weeks and people noticed he started to seem worse. Then, last night he...uh, I'm not sure. He just got worse. It doesn't look good, but they were pretty vague about it. They only woke me up to tell me they were leaving and why," he answered, looking disappointed, adding, "He's Renji's captain, that's why he left too."

I nodded, knowing why Ichigo was so bummed out. "You miss Rukia?" I asked, being serious. My brow creased as I noticed how bad I felt for him. It's not like they'd never see each other again, but his face was so pitiful, I couldn't help it.

He smiled, seeming to think that I was teasing him. Still, he nodded honestly. "Yeah. She'll be gone for awhile, it's going to be pretty boring with her gone," he said. "If, God forbid, Byakuya passes away, I'll be gone for a few days too. They'll come back to get me for his funeral."

I nodded. "Well, if you talk to Rukia at all, tell her I said I'm sorry and I hope the best for her brother."

"Alright, thanks," he said. "She'll appreciate it."

We stayed there for a few silent minutes, being alone for the first, really. He probably felt awkward because he couldn't distract himself with Rukia if things got uncomfortable. Very similar to how I felt about Renji.

"So," he started suddenly. "Do you miss Renji?" he smiled, though it seemed forced and made the circles under his eyes look darker.

I returned the gesture and shrugged. "I just saw him last night, so not really."

"Last night? So, after school he went to your house?" he asked, seeming more interested now.

I nodded. "He said he had to leave because you and Rukia were waiting for him. Didn't he tell you?"

Ichigo shook his head. "No, he never came to my house except to tell Rukia about her brother. But that was like three this morning. What happened?"

I shrugged again, not sure if I should tell him or not. Obviously Renji didn't want to tell him, and it's not like we were going to keep it a secret, so I decided to continue. "Nothing much. He came over to tell he didn't mean to kiss me. Wait, you knew he did, didn't you?" I asked. He simply nodded and waited for me to return to the story. "Yeah, so he was going to tell me, but somehow...I managed to change his mind about dating me."

"He didn't want to?" Ichigo asked, sounding honestly surprised.

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"He said the fact that I'm a "human kid" was too weird for him. He thought because I was so young it would be awkward or something. I'm not sure exactly, but I convinced him it's not that bad," I answered.

"How'd you do that?"

"I don't know, I just...told him it's not a big deal. It was surprisingly easy."

"Really?" he asked, surprised again.

I nodded. "Yep. I told him it obviously didn't bother you and Rukia, and your age difference is the same, so-" I started before Ichigo cut me off loudly.

"What?! What are you talking about!?" he demanded, his eyebrows instinctively turned down.

"You and Rukia obviously like each, Ichigo. You don't have to deny it, it's not like I'm going to tell Rukia. Although, I think she already knows, in a sense," I said, not letting his voice level to intimidate me.

"No we don't! We're friends," he said, his glare deepening.

"Okay, okay, sorry. I just thought you guys flirted because you liked each other," I said, smiling at him widely.

"We **don't** flirt," he answered through his teeth.

"Sure," I answered.

"_Anyway_," he started again. "What happened then?"

"Nothing, really. I got him to change his mind and then he left. That was all."

Ichigo nodded, he eyebrows returning to their odd, neutral state. By the end of our conversation students had flooded into the room, just in time for class to start.

_Renji's POV:_

I was waiting outside Byakuya's room, waiting for Rukia to come back out. She had been quiet all morning, but if she wasn't with Byakuya, she never left my side.

I had visited with him once. It was a little awkward because he decided to share a few thoughts he had about me in case he didn't have the chance another time.

_"Renji, I never thought you had a chance at becoming a lieutenant. I honestly didn't. But...you've done a good job. Keep up the great work, Captain Abarai."_

The last words he said before falling back asleep echoed in my head. I couldn't believe he had said that to me. After hating him for all these years, I find out he actually respected me. It was so surprising.

Before I could think more about it, the door opened a crack and Rukia slipped out, taking her place back next to me. I looked down at her, about to ask her if she was okay, but before I could she grabbed my arm and said, "He seems better," quietly, not believing the lie.

I put my arm around her shoulders and hugged her lightly as she started to cry silently. She returned the gesture tightly. I opened my mouth to say something, anything to make her feel better, but knew whatever I said would be a lie.

Things had changed so fast. The night before the only thing I was worried about was telling Rukia about me and Mina, now...Now my captain was dying and my best friend was suffering because of it.

_Byakuya, you better get better...and soon._

Okay, so this chapter is super short. I'm sorry. :) I had to update because It's been too long. I'll try to update sooner and sooner! :D

Sorry again, but I hope you like it anyway!


	12. Returning with News

I'm back already! I'm pretty excited that my story's going somewhere, and I've been in this...creative writing mojo for the last few days. So I'll probably be updating a lot this week! :P Yays! Ha ha.

Okay, sorry, here you go. Enjoy chapter 12!

_Mina's POV:_

Two weeks went by and Rukia and Renji didn't come back. I spent most of my free time with Ichigo, getting to know him a lot better. Even though we spent a ton of time together, he didn't open up much. He seemed too upset about Rukia being gone for so long. I understood, I missed Renji too, but definitely not as much as Ichigo missed Rukia.

Rukia never reported to Ichigo about how her brother was doing, she always left that up to Renji. In fact, Rukia and Ichigo didn't talk at all while they were gone, which only made Ichigo's depression worsen. But apparently Byakuya-sans condition fluctuated. He'd be in a horrible state one day and look better the next, only to worsen again. Things didn't look particularly great for him and everyone seemed positive that he wasn't going to make it except for Ichigo. He knew what her brother's death would do to Rukia and refused to believe anything was going to happen. Rukia was said to have been behaving the same way.

At the end of the two weeks Rukia and Renji finally arrived. It was unexpected. Ichigo and I returned to his house after school like we had gotten accustomed to. As we entered his room we saw the petite woman laying on the neatly made bed and the tall redhead sitting at the desk, leaning back in the chair.

I immediately looked up at Ichigo to see his reaction. His eyebrows rose as soon as he laid eyes on Rukia's still form on his bed, a smile making it's way onto his face. The first _real_ smile he had mustered up since his beloved Rukia had left.

"Rukia?" he asked, his voice giving away his excitement.

She lifted her head from her thin, crosses arms and peered up at him, a warm smile crossing her previously blank features. "Hey, Ichigo," she responded, holding a hand out to him tiredly. He crossed the room and sat on the bed next to her, placing an understanding hand on her back as she tightly grabbed his hand. They didn't seem to notice me or Renji anymore as they talked quietly, their faces mere inches away from each others'.

I took the chance to step closer to Renji, smiling at him warmly. He returned the gesture, the dark circles under his eyes standing out now. He grabbed my arm and pulled me closer abruptly, surprising me. Though we had technically been dating for two weeks, we'd only spent ten minutes of those weeks together, so I didn't expect him to be so quick to hug me the way he had. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist and laid his head against my stomach, closing his eyes. He let out a deep sigh, sounding content.

I rested a hand on his shoulder and absently ran my hand through his ponytail. "Hello to you, too," I said. He only nodded a response. "What's wrong, are you okay?" I asked, worried.

"Yeah, just tired. I haven't gotten much sleep since we left, that's all," he answered.

"How's Byakuya-san?" I questioned, noticing his tattooed brows creasing slightly, forming a mild frown.

"We're not sure. He's still getting better and then getting worse," he said.

I nodded, feeling a frown find it's way on my face as well. "How long are you guys staying now?"

"Until we get another message saying he's gotten worse and we need to be there. It just depends, it could be days or weeks," he answered.

"Well," I started, leaning closer to Renji's face, surprising him. I continued, my parted lips brushing against his ear. "Do you think he's gonna make it?"

Renji cleared his throat, his face feeling warm against mine, before answering. "Honestly, no. I don't."

I nodded and started to pull away. Renji stopped me when my face was inches from him causing my eyebrows to raise. He only smiled and kissed me lightly. After departing he rested his forehead against mine and closed his eyes again. I smiled, pleasantly surprised with his childish actions. I carefully pulled my head away, stood up straight, and allowed him to rest his head against my stomach again.

"I missed you, Renji,"I said absently, realizing that Rukia and Ichigo were still lost in their conversation to even notice us. Rukia was currently running a hand through Ichigo's orange spikes, laughing, seeming to tease him about something. Ichigo was smiling back at her widely, his face still inches from hers.

"I missed you, too," he responded quietly. I noticed him starting to fall asleep and helped him stand up.

"Ichigo," I said, not wanting to interrupt their conversation. He looked up at me, seeming distracted. "Is it alright if Renji sleeps on the couch?" I asked. He only nodded and returned his attention to the petite shinigami in front of him.

I aided Renji down the stairs and got a blanket while he laid down on the sofa, resting on his stomach with his face buried in a pillow. By the time I returned to the living room he was asleep, breathing deeply. I smiled widely and covered him up, not able to cover up his legs from the shins down. I carefully pulled his hair out of it's ponytail, surprised by how long it was as it spilled over his shoulders. Brushing hair off his brow, I kissed his forehead before sitting down next to the couch, not wanting to interrupt Ichigo and Rukia's reunion.

I decided to do my homework while everyone was busy and soon realized that I had left my school bag in Ichigo's bedroom. I ascended the stairs, slowly walking around the corner to peer into the room. I had forgotten to shut the door and apparently the pair hadn't noticed. As I looked into the open doorway I saw that the two had switched positions, Ichigo laying down with his head in Rukia's lap, fast asleep. He had complained about having trouble sleeping since Rukia had left, so I imagined having her home made him relieved and tired. Rukia was leaning closer to him, her hand still running through his hair, as she kissed his forehead carefully. When she pulled away, still not noticing my presence, she smiled at him warmly and continued to play with the orange spikes of his messy hair.

I smiled and stepped back, only to walk forward and enter the room, acting as if I had just gone up the stairs. "Hey, Rukia," I said, smiling at her. She smiled back and held a delicately pointed finger against pursed lips.

"Hello, Mina," she whispered. "How have you been?"

"Okay, thank you. How about you?"

She shrugged. "Alright, thanks. It's been a long two weeks, that's for sure."

"I bet," I said, absently pushing a strand of curly brown hair behind my ear. "So, you missed him, huh?" I asked, my smile widening.

She allowed her smile to widen also, absently brushing her fingers over the skin of Ichigo's face, and nodding. "Yeah," she said simply. She didn't seem ashamed of her feelings at all, like Ichigo seemed to be. But she was probably more convinced I wasn't going to say anything than Ichigo was. "You missed Renji, too, right?" she questioned me happily.

"Yep," I answered just as simply as she had. We were quiet for a few minutes as she continued to lightly trace Ichigo's jawline. I decided to leave them alone, grabbing my bag, waving bye to Rukia, and returning downstairs. I patted Renji's face lightly before sitting back down and starting my homework, unable to get the smile off my face.

_It's great to finally have Rukia and Renji back. As for Byakuya...all we can do is wait._

By that point, I still hadn't known what would happen if Byakuya-san did pass away. The consequence that would cause an immense amount of problems between the four of us.

Okay, that's it. I'm sorry it's still kind of filled with IchiRuki fluff and not so much RenjMin, but I promise that will happen more often soon enough! :D And I apologize that this chapter doesn't have much going on, but I wanted to update and these chapters are important, so yeah....sorry. :) Hope you enjoyed anyway! :D See you later!


	13. Tragic Endings

Okay, so I'm back again! :D I'm sorry for those of you who are waiting for The Mist to be updated. I just...haven't had the motivation to write for that story, even though I already know what's going to happen and all. I think that may be the reason for my unwillingness to write, ha ha. I can't really surprise myself, I know what's going to happen. That's probably why I like Far Away better, it's unpredictable. Okay, okay, sorry. I'm done. :)

Anyways here's chapter 13! (Btw, for some reason fanfiction has stopped allowing me to use those lines to separate my scenes, so I'll be using cute little diamond shapes Fuzzy showed me! :D)

_-:-_

_Mina's POV_:

The night that Rukia and Renji came home we all stayed the night at Ichigo's. Renji stayed on the couch, asleep the rest of the night. Ichigo woke up, still looking exhausted, at around six, just in time for dinner. After dinner me, Rukia, and Ichigo returned to Ichigo's bedroom and sat on the bed.

Ichigo sat in the corner, leaning against the wall. Rukia placed herself next to him, leaning on him, her head on his shoulder. I took my place next to Ruk, stretching my legs out in front of me. We sat in silence for a few minutes, but the silence started to make me uncomfortable. "So, Rukia, how's your brother?" I asked, getting a stern look from Ichigo, but I ignored him and continued. "Renji didn't say much, is he doing any better?"

Her content expression faded as a neutral one replaced it. Her small shoulders rose as she looked down at her hands. "He's...he's better," she said, obviously lying. She closed her hands into fists, her fingernails digging into them. As I noticed, Ichigo placed a massive hand over hers, squeezing lightly.

I nodded, but continued. I knew how much talking about this kind of thing helped me, and part of me talking about my dad was thanks to Rukia, so I decided not to stop. "Do you think he's gonna make it?"

Ichigo glared at me but Rukia answered with a sigh. "I'm...really not sure...," she said in a small voice. She sounded like she was about to cry. Ichigo put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, seeming slightly uncomfortable. I figured he was just embarrassed.

Rukia leaned closer to him, turning toward him and laying her head on his chest. She didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around his waist tightly, causing his cheeks to tint pink slightly. Rukia's shoulders shook under Ichigo's careful grip.

I was surprised to see the usually strong Rukia crying. But I understood what she was going through. I laid my hand on her back lightly but allowed Ichigo to soothe her. _Poor Rukia..._

_-:-_

The next morning I woke to the sound of Rukia's alarm clock. I heard her groan and roll over in the bed next to me, pulling the blankets over her head, ignoring it's cries. I jumped out of bed and quickly crossed the room, shutting the clock off. I returned to the bed and laid my hand on the petite girl's shoulder, about to shake her awake. Before I could begin I heard a voice behind me say, "Don't bother. Just let her sleep."

I turned around, surprised to see Ichigo standing in the doorway. He was clad in his sweat pants and a long sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing his skinny arms. His expression was surprisingly grim for having Rukia back, but I figured it was just his morning attitude. "Are you alright?" I asked anyway.

He nodded, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Yeah, I'm just tired. Thanks," he answered, leaving before I could say anything else. I smiled and turned back to Rukia.

Pulling the blankets back from her head, tucking them around her shoulders, I noticed that Rukia was asleep again. Her mouth was slightly open as she breathed loudly. I grabbed my things, shut the lights off, and exited the room. I went into the bathroom and dressed, haphazardly combed my hair, and brushed my teeth. After finishing, I went downstairs, expecting to see Renji still asleep on the couch, but he was gone. A little concerned, I silently searched the living room area.

I peered around a corner, looking down the hall, seeing nothing. As I turned around and started to go back to the kitchen I ran into something that suddenly appeared in the way, causing me to scream in surprise. I covered my mouth just in time to stifle the noise, hearing him laugh.

"Calm down, it's just me," Renji said, smiling down at me widely. I returned the gesture, rolling my eyes.

"Don't sneak up on me, jerk," I said, taking a step away from him. He stepped closer and grabbed my wrists, causing my smile to widen and my face to heat up slightly. Renji was oddly comfortable with me. I expected him to be more stand-off-ish, almost shy. That's the vibe he gave me at first, at least. But now he grabbed me, hugged me, or kissed me whenever he felt like it. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, I wasn't complaining, but I was still my bashful self and I had to get used to his impulsive behavior.

Being pulled closer to Renji, I rested my head against his chest. He laid his head on mine and sighed, obviously still tired. That's when I noticed that he was wearing the same jeans and t-shirt as the day before.

Arching my neck, I looked up at Renji as he continued to cling to me. "Are you going to school?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"You're exhausted, you should just stay here with Rukia," I said, but he declined my offer absently. He dismissed himself to get dressed and left me alone in the living room. I waited for a few minutes but was soon accompanied by a frantic Renji and Ichigo. Looking up at them, concerned, I asked, "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"It's Byakuya," Ichigo said, looking around the living room in a hurry, seeming to be searching for something.

My eyes widened and scanned the stairs, waiting to see Rukia run down to join the other two, but she didn't. "Dammit, _where is it_?" Ichigo asked himself angrily, throwing couch pillows on the floor.

"Just use the mod soul, we don't have time!" Renji ordered angrily. I expected Ichigo to snap at him, but he only nodded and ran back upstairs.

"What about Rukia? Where is she?" I asked.

"_Shit_," Renji said and crossed the room in three steps, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. He cupped his mouth with his hand and shouted, "Ichigo, get Rukia!" He stepped back into the living room and grabbed a green pill from his pocket, the same one he had the day he walked me home.

"Is he really bad?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Renji nodded and rolled the green capsule between his fingers, not ready to swallow it. He looked back at me sternly. "We'll probably be gone a few days, if not longer."

I nodded and walked back over to him, carefully hugging him around the waist. "I'm really sorry about this, Renji," I said, not sure if this was affecting him as much as it seemed. I knew it was his captain and all, but Ichigo told me they weren't close. I figured he was doing all this for Rukia, but I couldn't be sure.

He only nodded in response and lightly patted my back, causing me to pull away. He grabbed me by the shoulders before I could completely loosen my grip and looked down at me. "We won't be gone as long this time, but it'll probably be about a week," he said, practically repeating what he had already told me.

"I know," I answered, nodding.

"So, I'll see you later," he said, seeming unsure of himself.

Smiling, I stood on tip-toe and quickly kissed him. "See you later. Give Rukia and any other family members my best," I said, causing him to roll his eyes and smile slightly.

"Idiot, if I told them that, I'd have to tell them you know," he said.

I laughed but before I could say anything else Ichigo number one, who was dressed in a black kimono, Ichigo number two, dressed in his school uniform, and a bewildered looking Rukia ran down the stairs. She had already departed from her gigai, so I assumed it was upstairs. Renji pulled away from me abruptly and stuck the green pill in his mouth, causing his soul and false body to separate.

"Go to Urahara's shop and stay there until I get back. Don't get in their way," Renji told his body, who nodded and gave him a strange salute, which Renji ignored.

"Ichigo," said person's body whined. "What's going on? What should I do?"

"Kon, stop whining. We'll be back, just go to school and act like me," Ichigo demanded. With that the three said their goodbyes and left.

Renji's mod soul waved goodbye to me and headed out the door, I assumed going to "Urahara's shop". Kon turned to me and blinked.

"What do we do?" he asked in a cute, child like voice.

I smiled as best as I could. "We go to school and act like everything's okay. Alright?" I asked in a tone I would use on my seven year old cousins.

My words seemed to soothe him. Kon nodded and quickly grabbed Ichigo's school bag as I collected my things and we departed.

_-:-_

_Renji's POV:_

We arrived faster than I thought. Rukia ran in the direction of the Kuchiki mansion with me at her side. Ichigo stayed a little behind, not sure of the way. As we approached the building, I turned back to make sure Ichigo was still there and saw his surprised expression. He hadn't seen the place before, that was obvious. Under different circumstances, his expression would have been amusing.

Rukia continued to lead us to Byakuya's room where he had been taken care of, so he could be more comfortable. She opened the door, ignoring the protests of unfamiliar people. Ichigo and I did the same. Rukia slowed down after entering the room and walked to the head of the bed. Ichigo walked past me as I stopped at the door, not wanting to be much closer when Byakuya passed on.

Rukia instantly grabbed her brother's hand tightly and Ichigo stood close next to her, his hand on her shoulder. Byakuya opened his eyes weakly, his expression one I had never seen on his face before. He smiled broadly, as broadly as he could, directing it at Rukia only. "I'm glad you're here," he said.

Rukia started to wipe her eyes with the back of her free hand. "Of course I'm here," she answered quietly. He motioned for her to come closer and she did. He said a few comments in her ear that even Ichigo couldn't hear. As she lifted her head she bowed, tears falling from her eyes more rapidly.

"I have a few things to say to the boy," Byakuya said suddenly, obviously referring to Ichigo, surprising him. Without question Rukia stepped back and pushed Ichigo where she had been standing. "I'm still not fond of you, Boy, that's not a secret," he started. "But, for some reason I'll never understand, you mean a lot to Rukia. I know that Renji takes care of her when he's around, but he's usually here, in Soul Society. The majority of the time, you're with her. I'm not asking you, I'm telling you, take care of my sister. Don't hurt her in any way. Protect her," he finished in his usual, stern voice. Byakuya almost sounded healthy again.

His words surprised all of us, and Rukia and I expected Ichigo to say something smart back at him, but he just nodded, bowed, and said, "Of course. With my life."

Byakuya smiled at his response and turned his attention to me, seeming pleased with Ichigo for the first time. "I've already spoken with you, Renji. I meant what I said. I have no doubt you'll be a great captain." He talked so quiet now, I had to strain my ears to understand him.

I took one small step closer to him and bowed. "Thank you, Captain Kuchiki," I said in a husky voice. I almost didn't recognize it as my own.

After Byakuya said his goodbyes, he fell back asleep. We waited for about an hour and a half before he passed away. After dealing with what seemed to be a mild illness for over three weeks, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki was pronounced dead.

_-:-_

Okay, so there you go! :D

I'm sorry to those of you who begged me not to kill off Byakuya. Although I'm not fond of Byakuya myself, I didn't do that because of that reason. It fit the plot that I actually have now, thanks to FuzzyShadowFoxx! :P But I am sorry, I know a lot of you are disappointed, but I can't help it. The deed is done.

So, I hope you all liked this chapter. Please review! :) Please!


	14. Broken Bonds

Okay, I'm back again. The story seems, to me, like it's ending, but trust me, it's not. :)

So, here it is. Chapter :14

_-:-_

_Rukia's POV:_

Byakuya's funeral was a few days after he died. It was a big ceremony, just about every shinigami was there. There were two columns of people separated by the platform that held the casket. The platform and the box that held my brother was extravagant, flaunting the family's wealth.

The ceremony was standard for a shinigami and went by quickly. The last segment of the funeral was to have a member of the family place Byakuya's zanpakuto in the casket next to him. Ginrei Kuchiki, Byakuya's grandfather, was the one chosen to do this after I declined the offer.

Throughout the ceremony I stood between Renji and Ichigo, gripping their hands tightly. After everyone started to leave, I pulled away from them, heading toward the platform. I quickly stepped on and walked to the box, placing my hand on the lid gently. I expected Renji and Ichigo to be right behind me, but they kept their distance. I stayed there for awhile, allowing my fingers to brush the casket as I said goodbye to my brother.

_-:-_

_Mina's POV:_

Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji were gone for a little over a week. While they were in the Soul Society I continued to go to Ichigo's house and hang out with Kon, though it got old after awhile. I did it so Ichigo's family and my mom didn't think something was wrong. At first Kon kept hugging me and making inappropriate comments. One time he even had the nerve to kiss me, causing me to leave early and shun Kon until he apologized and promised to keep his hands off me.

The Friday of the week they left, I was walking to Ichigo's house with Kon. The sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear, but the wind had picked up, blowing my long hair all over the place. When he noticed me wrap my arms around myself, shivering, Kon took off the jacket he was wearing and handed it to me. I took it, grateful, and thanked him.

A few blocks away from our destination I stopped suddenly, wide eyed, turning to Kon. He gave me a concerned look and grabbed my arm lightly.

"Mina? Are you alright? What's wrong?" he asked, starting to sound panicked.

Before I could answer, a loud, monstrous scream filled the air and a hollow appeared mere feet away from us. Kon stood in front of me protectively, but I noticed his arms shaking violently.

"Run Mina," he said quietly, his arm lightly pushing me as he backed up.

"No! I can't leave you! What are you going to do, you can't fight it," I stated.

"Run! Get out of here!" he ordered, his voice serious for the first time since I'd met him. That voice fit Ichigo's body a lot better.

Still, I refused. "No, Kon. I'm not leaving you alone."

"My job is to take care of you, so leave before you get hurt!"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, but the hollow interrupted our conversation.

The monster took another step toward us, its white mask grinning in our direction. "_What strong spiritual power!_" the hollow shrieked, its dead eyes on me. "_You can run if you want, girl, but I'll get you._"

I clutched Kon's arm tightly, sure that we weren't going to get away from the thing, we were going to get ourselves killed, along with Ichigo's body. Kon lightly pulled his arm away and grabbed my hand that had had a vice-like grip on him seconds before. He quickly scooped me up bridal style and started sprinting in the opposite direction of the hollow, his speed inhuman. I hugged onto his neck tightly and hid my face in his shoulder. I didn't have to look up to know that the creature was right behind us.

I continued to hide while Kon ran away, always only a few steps ahead. I didn't look up until I heard him say, "_Shit!" _We had met a dead end. Kon had run into an alley, thinking it would be a path that lead another road. But it only led to a brick wall.

Quickly spinning on his heels, Kon tried to back out before the hollow followed us in, but he was too late. The monster was blocking our way. We were cornered.

Kon looked around, trying to find another way out, as he sat me down. "Get on my back," he ordered, beginning to push me behind him. I imagined it would be easier to carry me that way, but before I had time to think, a long tentacle looking limb wrapped its self around my waist and lifted me away from him.

I screamed and kicked my legs, my only way of fighting because my arms were restrained. "No! No! Let me go!" I screamed, panicked.

The hollow laughed as it started to raise me toward it's wide open mouth. "_I told you I'd get you,_" it said, it's mouth not moving. It had sharp teeth, saliva dripping from them. I screamed louder and closed my eyes, wanting it to be over with. But the monster's screamed interrupted mine and caused me to open my eyes again.

Before I could register what was going on, I fell from it's grip and slammed against the pavement, landing on my arm. I heard it snap as the pain started. I clenched my teeth together, holding the screams in. Kon was at my side instantly, apologizing frantically for letting it get to me.

I ignored him to see what had injured the hollow. I looked up and blinked the stinging tears away, seeing a tall figure dressed in white. He had dark hair and was holding a bright bow and arrow up toward where the monster had stood. It looked like a light saber. When he turned his head to face us, my eyes widened with surprise. _It's Urryu Ishida, from my class!_

"Are you alright, Aburamai?" he asked, not trying to hide that he knew me.

I nodded, unable to talk.

"Thank you!" Kon said, still looking terrified. Urryu only nodded.

"It looks like you've broken your arm," Ishida said, kneeling in front of me and Kon. Kon instinctively pulled me closer to him, further from our classmate.

I still couldn't respond, so I just nodded. Kon picked me up carefully; he took his time and stopped moving when I flinched or whined. Urryu accompanied us back to Ichigo's house as both he and Kon ran at the same inhuman rate. They quickened their pace when we started to reach the clinic.

Kon went in right away, getting funny looks from Ichigo's little sisters. Yuzu was grinning up at us until she noticed that I was hurt. "Ichi-nii, what happened?" She asked, frantic.

"She fell, Yuzu," Kon responded, walking past her and carrying me into the Kurosaki Clinic. "Issh-Uh, Dad?" he said, getting Isshin's attention.

"Whoa, what happened to you, Mina?" he asked, already standing and walking toward us.

"I fell, that's all," I answered, repeating Kon's lie.

"Alright, let me take a look," he answered as Kon sat me down and took his place next to me. Ishida stood on the opposite side, keeping a distance between us.

"I'm sorry for troubling you," I said, but Isshin just brushed my apology off.

It turned out that Urryu was right, I _had_ broken my arm. The next few excruciating hours consisted of Mr. Kurosaki forcing my bones back into the right place and getting a cast on the impaired limb. Yuzu had called my mother and told her what happened and she had intended to come over, but I convinced her that there was no use. She agreed to wait for me at home after a few minutes of mild bickering.

When it was all over I thanked Isshin for his help, got my things, and left with both Kon and Urryu accompanying me. They got me home safely and before leaving Kon apologized for the hundredth time. "It's fine, Kon, it wasn't your fault. Don't worry about it," I said. He nodded, still looking upset, and hugged me in a child-like way I could allow.

After they left, I ascended the stairs to find my mother asleep on the couch. I thought about waking her, but decided not to. She looked exhausted. She was wearing a pair of sweatpants and one of my t-shirts and her hair was up in a messy bun. One of her arms were hanging off the couch and her legs were sprawled out over the arm of the couch. I lightly pushed some of the curly bangs out of her face and kissed her forehead before covering her up.

Another long day was over and I finally had the chance to rest. I changed out of my school uniform into some shorts and a t-shirt and got into bed. Though it was only around six thirty, I closed my eyes and soon fell asleep. I didn't wake until the next morning.

_-:-_

'Kay, there it is. Doesn't seem like this is important, but I promise it is. So, just be patient.

Anyway, hope you liked it! :D

Review!


	15. Drifting Apart?

Alright, I'm back with chapter 15! :D

I don't have much to say, so here it is! :)

_-:-_

_Mina's POV:_

The Tuesday following my accident with the hollow, Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji came home. They arrived late in the evening and came to my apartment. As soon as they entered the living room area they gawked at me, staring at the huge cast attached to my arm. I smiled and pushed some hair out of my face, ready for them to stop staring at me.

"What happened to you?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh, didn't Kon tell you?" I asked, causing Ichigo to open his school bag and pull out a yellow-orange stuffed lion.

"Kon, why didn't you tell me she got hurt?" he yelled in the lions face, which was now animated and lively.

"I-I forgot!" Kon shrieked, cringing away from him.

"It wasn't his fault," I cut in, hoping to defend the pitiful mod soul. "A hollow attacked, he did everything he could do, it really isn't-," I started before Renji cut me off.

"You were attacked by a hollow?" he demanded, fury in his expression. I only nodded before he turned on Kon. "You idiot! Why weren't you taking care of her, she could have gotten killed!"

"I tried!" he shouted in protest.

"Stop it!" I exclaimed, pulling Kon away from Ichigo. "Both of you, knock it off, please. It wasn't his fault, he did everything he could. I was the one who wouldn't leave when he told me to. What happened to me was my fault," I finished as Ichigo's expression softened slightly and noticed that Renji's was just as stern.

"Well, what happened?" Rukia said, speaking for the first time, her arms crossed over her chest.

I looked over at her, feeling my brow crease slightly. "We were walking home from school last Friday. A hollow just appeared and Kon tried to get me to run, but I wouldn't. The hollow tried to attack, but Kon picked me up and ran away. Eventually we got cornered and Urryu Ishida saved us. Before he did the hollow dangled me in the air and then dropped me. That's how I broke my arm," I finished.

Rukia nodded curtly and stepped closer to us. "Well, the important thing is that you're okay," she said, a small smile on her face.

I nodded, smiling back at her and sitting Kon on the floor.

Everyone calmed down and started to relax. I sat on the couch and before I had the chance to welcome the others to make their selves at home, Ichigo's cell phone went off. "It's my dad," he said in an aggravated tone. "I'll be right back," he said, descending the stairs and exiting, Rukia watching him carefully.

"...I'll be right back," she said, taking a few steps toward the stairs.

"Where are you going?" I asked, concerned by her actions.

"I want to talk to Ichigo, that's all," she answered, not turning around to look at me before exiting.

I nodded slightly, still concerned. While I was still caught up in Rukia's odd, but expected, behavior, Renji sat down next to me abruptly, surprising me. He sat so close to me, I expected him to put his arm around me or something, but he just sat there, staring off.

I felt my brow crease with worry. "...Renji? Are you okay?" I asked, concern leaking into my voice.

He only nodded and continued to stare off. I felt my frown deepen as I grabbed his hand lightly, getting his attention. "Renji, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, really," he said, leaning back against the back of the couch. Squeezing my hand, he sighed. "I'm sorry you got hurt," he said suddenly.

I shook my head, still frowning. "It's not your fault, don't worry about it," I answered.

He only nodded, still looking guilty. Resting my unoccupied hand on his arm, I leaned closer to him and kissed him on the cheek. "I mean it," I said quietly, resting my head against his lightly. He nodded again, but said nothing.

I pulled away abruptly, still holding onto his hand. "So, how did the funeral go?" I asked, changing the subject.

He shrugged. "It went pretty smoothly."

"How did Rukia act?"

"Depressed," he answered.

I nodded. "That's expected," I said, absently playing with a strand of my hair. I realized how awkward it suddenly was, talking to Renji. He was acting so strange, I didn't know what to say or do. Eventually he relaxed, pulling an arm around my shoulders, but I still felt a little awkward. Thankfully, Ichigo and Rukia came in then.

"Is everything okay, Ichigo?" I asked, concerned.

He nodded, his usual scowl still on his face. "No, no, everything's fine," he answered, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Dad wants me home," he answered absently.

"Oh, alright. Well, be careful on your way home," I said, getting a nod.

Ichigo grabbed his school bag, shoving Kon into it, and headed toward the stairs. "See ya," he said to no one in particular.

"Wait," Rukia said, grabbing the bag she had brought also, draping it over her shoulder. "I'm coming too."

Turning to her, Ichigo waited for her patiently. When she approached him, she grabbed his hand openly, descending a few steps before she turned back to me and Renji, saying, "Bye, see you guys later," with a small, forced smile on her face.

I returned the gesture widely, waving. "Bye Rukia, bye Ichigo," I said, noticing Ichigo's face tint pink slightly as he nodded and guided Rukia out of my apartment, leaving me and Renji alone. My mother was gone, at a book club or something.

I quickly stepped closer to the window, watching Ichigo and Rukia leave just to have an excuse to be quiet. Their hands were still intertwined as they walked close together. While they continued down the street Rukia laid her head on Ichigo's shoulder, causing my smile to widen slightly.

After a few moments of standing by the window, I sat back down on the couch, leaving a space between Renji and myself. Honestly, I was a little nervous being alone in my home with him. But he just sat there, staring off again. I allowed it, not trying to force conversation. I figured Renji was pretty worn out, so I decided to leave him alone.

"...I have to go back tomorrow," he said suddenly, surprising me.

"Huh?" I asked, one of my brows raising.

"I have to go back to the Soul Society tomorrow," he said again, a little louder.

"Really?" I questioned, disappointment sinking in.

"Yeah," he answered.

"Well...why do you have to go so soon?"

"They made me the captain," he stated.

"Really?" I asked, feeling a smile cross my features. "That's great, Renji! I mean, not so much under these circumstances, but that's really amazing!" When he didn't answer, I continued. "What, Renji? Aren't you excited about this?"

"Yeah," he answered, sighing. He ran a hand through his ponytail absently. "You don't understand," he continued. "You realize I'm never gonna get the chance to be here." His tone was full of disappointment.

"Oh...," I started, my smile faltering.

"Yeah," he answered.

"Still, this is a good thing!" I exclaimed. "I'm really proud of you, Renji."

He let out a small laugh. "What are you, my mother?"

I smiled again, glad to have him teasing me. It seemed normal, he was acting like himself again. I scooted closer to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head against his shoulder. He returned the gesture, sighing tiredly. Everything seemed alright again.

Then I thought _Might as well enjoy it while it lasts,_ grimacing slightly.

_-:-_

My mother returned home about a half an hour later, finding us on the couch. Renji was about to fall asleep, still clinging to me. The fact that Renji was leaving in the morning, I asked my mother, "Is it alright if Renji stays the night tonight?"

She looked at me, obviously surprised. "Mina, I-"

"I know, I know, Mom. I meant on the couch," I said, cutting her off.

"Well...," she started. "Alright. He's practically asleep anyway."

I nodded. "Thank you," I said.

Twenty minutes later, Renji was passed out on the couch. I grabbed his ankles and pulled off his shoes, placing them on the floor next to the couch. Pulling his hair out of it's ponytail, I absently slipped the hairtie onto Renji's wrist. Before leaving Renji in the living room, I covered him up and kissed his forehead.

I wrote Renji a note telling him to wake me up before he had to leave before going to my room and laying down on my bed. I stared at the ceiling, recalling my conversation with Renji.

_"...I have to go back tomorrow...I have to go back to the Soul Society...I'm never gonna get the chance to be here."_

Renji was leaving. And who knew when he'd get to come back. Not to mention that he was just acting weird. I felt like he was becoming further and further away from me, and there was nothing I could do about it. I was powerless.

_-:-_

Okay! So, that took forever, ha ha! :D

So, I think I'm losing my mojo with this story. I'm definitely not giving up, but I think I'm going to take a break from it and work on The Mist for awhile. My sister is demanding I work on both, because she wants more of this, but I feel like I'm disappointing a lot of you with my "what seems like a lack of a plot". But I promise, there's a plot! Promise!

Anyway, I don't know when I'll update, but I promise it wont be _TOO_ long!

Thank you! Please review!


	16. Broken Hearts and Healing Wounds

Okay, so I told you all I was taking a break...it didn't last long. :) My sister said I should write more and though I don't think I got my mojo back, I'm going to try to write anyway. So wish me luck! :D

Here we go, chapter 16! :D

_-:-_

Mina's POV:

The night before Renji had to go back to the Soul Society I couldn't sleep. I woke up every other hour, startled from dreams that I couldn't remember. I rolled around in bed, pushing my blankets to the floor in the few hours of sleep that I got. I woke at around three in the morning, still restless and decided to get up.

Sitting up in bed I pulled my legs over the edge. Sighing tiredly, my long bangs fluttered in the air before dropping back onto my brow. I stood, slipped on my glasses (which I wore in the mornings before putting in my contacts), and exited my room. I walked into to living room, which was illuminated by moonlight alone. I walked over to the couch and looked at the coffee table, finding Renji's soul pager. Picking it up I found that he had set an alarm for five o' clock. I turned it off and sat his soul pager back on the coffee table. Turning back to the couch I saw Renji sleeping soundly, an arm hanging over the edge, his legs stretching over the arm. His long hair was resting over his shoulders in a messy fashion.

I smiled down at him, suddenly realizing that in a few hours he would be leaving. My brow creased as my smile faded. I sat down on the edge of the couch, careful not to wake him. As I absently ran my hand through his hair tears ran down my face as I silently cried. _Who knows when I'll be able to see him again?_

The thought was too much to bear. I laid my head on Renji's back, my forehead resting on his shoulder blade. I continued to sob, managing to keep quiet, but the movement woke him. Sitting up, Renji turned toward me, looking disoriented. I sat up as he did and held my good hand to my face, feeling guilty that I had interrupted his sleep.

"Mina?" he asked, sounding exhausted. He grabbed my arm and carefully pulled it away from me, my face exposed. "Mina, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

I shook my head, standing, and pulling away from him. "No, it's nothing, I'm sorry," I answered, but of course he didn't buy it.

Grabbing my good arm lightly, his hand slipped into mine, not allowing me to get too far away from him. "What is it?"

Pulling my hand to my face with his still holding onto it, I wiped my eyes. "I'm just going to miss you," I answered, avoiding his concerned gaze.

He laughed quietly, pulling me closer slightly. "Mina, it's not like we'll never see each other again. Calm down," he said, though he didn't sound very convincing.

_Says you! _You_ were the one moping around all day yesterday! _I thought, but held my tongue. The last thing I wanted to do was start a fight when we had mere hours left together. So I nodded, willed myself to calm down, and sat back next to him. Scooting over to give me room, he swung his legs over the edge of the couch and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer. We sat there in silence for a few minutes, allowing me to calm down, before I slightly pulled away from Renji and said, "You should go back to sleep, Renji. It's too early."

He shook his head. "I'm fine. I have to get up in a few hours anyway," he answered absently.

I held back a sigh. "Really, Renji. You've only been sleeping for a few hours-"

"I fell asleep around eight. I slept for almost seven hours, that's enough," he answered, sounding a little annoyed.

I stared at him for a second, a mild glare forming on my brow. "Renji, what's your problem?"

He gave me a funny look, a mixture of anger and confusion in his expression. "What are you talking about?" His question was harsh and dull.

"Why are you acting so weird? Last night you were quiet and acted depressed or something. When you woke up you were being nice and normal. Now you're being a dick," I said bluntly, my anger growing.

"What the hell are you talking about? What am I doing?" he demanded, his voice now full of rage.

"You're just being a jerk," I answered, still angry but a little scared.

"What did I do?"

"What you said!"

"About sleeping long enough?" he questioned.

I nodded.

"What was wrong with that?"

"It wasn't what you said, it was how you said it. Your _tone_," I said.

He stood abruptly, causing me to flinch away from him. "Are you fucking serious?"

I could only nod, still slightly withdrawn from him.

He glared down at me as I continued to avoid his gaze. After realizing that I wasn't going to respond he mumbled, "Fuck this," and slipped on his shoes.

"Where are you going?" I asked, not sure why I was still anxious. It's not like I'd ever seen Renji be violent before or anything, except with hollows.

"Away from _you_!" he retorted, grabbing his soul pager and stomping down the stairs, not seeming to remember what time it was. I heard the door slam shut as I sat there, frozen in place.

_-:-_

_Renji's POV:_

Right as the door shut behind me I regretted it. Sighing, I stood there, waiting for my irritation to fade, but it didn't. I regretted screaming at Mina, but I was still pissed off at her for being so unreasonable. She was being so sensitive, she was acting like..._like we're married._

I shook my head at the thought and stomped away from her apartment building, heading toward the Kurosaki Clinic.

_-:-_

_ Mina's POV:_

I sat on the couch after Renji stormed out, my hands folded in my lap. I had never meant for that to happen. I wasn't trying to nag him, all I wanted was for him to act like himself again. But he had gotten angry and left, without letting me even explain.

My hands unfolded and my good one slid to my face as I started crying for the second time that morning. I grabbed the phone from it's resting place on a side table next to the couch. Resting my elbows on my knees, I cradled the phone in my hand, my fingers gliding over the smooth buttons. I was debating whether I should call Rukia or not. I wanted to, but I knew she's be asleep.

Tears still streaming down my face, I sat the phone on the coffee table in front of me. I pulled my arms around myself, careful with my limb resting in it's cast, crying harder. Usually, during a situation like this, I could talk to my dad...but he was gone and I was alone. I know I still had my mom, but she was the one who gave me advice when I had a small problem. Dad was the one who dealt with my crummy moods when something happened, no matter what it was.

My phone rang suddenly, startling me. I looked at it, the number not familiar. I clicked the green button, held the phone up to my ear, and said, "Hello?"

"Mina, is that you?" I heard Rukia ask, her voice sounding slightly harsh.

_Oh crap! She's mad at me too!_ "Yes, this is me," I said, grabbing a tissue and absently wiping my nose. "Wh-what are you calling from?" I asked, trying to sound normal.

"Ichigo's cell phone," she said.

"Yo, Mina," Ichigo said, sounding sympathetic. His voice made me realize that they were on speaker phone.

"Oh, hello," I answered, my brow creasing deeply. I hated that they were up so early just because of me. More tears slid down my face, but I maintained a calm voice.

"What's going on? What happened over there?" Rukia asked.

I sighed, having a harder time controlling my emotions with her demanding answers.

"Renji and I got into a fight, that's all," I answered.

"Why? Did he hit you?" she asked, surprising and worrying me.

"No, of course not...why?"

"He just...get's a little out of control sometimes, I wasn't sure what he did. It's not like he does it often, so don't worry," she answered, sounding frantic.

I held my head carefully. "Anyway, what were you fighting about?" she continued when I didn't reply.

"He just...he's acting so weird! Ever since you guys got back yesterday, he's been really moody! Yesterday he was depressed, right after he woke up he was all nice and stuff, and then he got pissed off at me for asking him what his problem was!" I exclaimed, choking on a few sobs.

"Sh, Mina, calm down," I heard Ichigo say soothingly.

"Mina, it's alright," Rukia stated, sounding less comforting. "He came by and talked to us, he still seemed pretty angry. I think you should just stay home and let him get over it."

"B-but, he's leaving in a few hours!" I said, able to stop my eyes from producing tears.

"It's alright. With our soul pagers you can communicate with others in Soul Society. You can talk to him when he's calmed down," Rukia answered. "Trust me, it's best if you just leave him alone for awhile. Okay?"

I nodded while swallowing. "Okay, I'll leave him alone."

"Thanks. So," Rukia started. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you," I responded, suddenly afraid to talk to them. I think it was the fact that Ichigo was listening that made me so uncomfortable.

"Are you sure? I know how Renji can be, so I'll understand if you're upset," she said.

"No, really, I'm okay," I answered, glancing at the clock hanging on the wall by the next to the hallway. It was 3:47. "Look, I'm sorry my problems have kept you up. I'll be okay, you two should go to sleep."

"Okay," Rukia stated. "Don't worry too much about it, you guy's will be okay. Sleep well, Mina."

"G'night, Mina," Ichigo's voice said after his silence.

"Good night. I'll see you two tomorrow." I hung up, sat the phone back in it's cradle, and leaned back against the couch, knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep no matter how hard I tried.

_-:-_

_Rukia's POV:_

After making sure Mina was alright, I flipped Ichigo's phone shut and handed it back to him. He grabbed it with his free hand, the other I held tightly. "It seems like she'll be alright," I said.

He nodded, looking exhausted. I smiled up at him and sat up, hugging onto his neck as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "Sorry for coming in here and waking you up."

He shook his head, his movements causing his hair to tickle my neck. "It's okay," he answered, his voice giving away his exhaustion.

I pulled away from him suddenly, my hands lightly clutching his shoulders as I kept myself arms length away. "Good night, Ichigo," I said before leaning closer to him and pressing my lips to his.

Before I could pull away he kissed me back, a smile forming on his lips as they interacted with mine. "Good night," he responded.

I absently ruffled his hair before standing and crossing the room, shutting the lights off and closing the door before returning to my room. While laying in bed I couldn't stop worrying about Renji and Mina. They're problem seemed so minor, but I knew how easily Renji could blow things out of proportion and ruin a relationship for himself.

Sighing, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to drift to sleep.

_-:-_

Alright, so there it is! :D The infamous chapter you all seem to have been waiting for. :)

I hope I haven't disappointed anyone. :) I like this chapter, even though it took me awhile to write.

Anyway, please review! :D Please!


	17. The Art of Breaking

Okay, I'm back! :D Conflicts, conflicts, conflicts! There are conflicts in this plot! D: Ha ha, is anyone as proud of me as me? :P

Alright, sorry for that! Here we go!

_-:-_

_Mina's POV:_

I stayed up the morning Renji stormed out until I had to get ready for school. I changed quickly, having showered during the hours I was awake. I brushed my hair absently and threw it up into a messy ponytail, my bangs falling back over my forehead, slightly covering my eyes.

I brushed my teeth, not bothering to eat. After grabbing my school bag and saying "goodbye" to my mom, I exited my apartment and headed toward the school.

As I approached the entrance of Karakura High, I ran into Ichigo and Rukia. I quickly noticed that they had been holding hands and pulled away from each other as they saw me and other students in the area. I smiled and cocked an eyebrow at them.

Rukia looked down at me and gave me a funny look. "What?"

I thought about teasing her and decided against it. She was most likely still mourning about her brother and just wanted to be attached to someone close. "Nothing, nothing," I answered, shaking my head slightly.

We entered the school together and I noticed Rukia and Ichigo giving me funny looks. As Ichigo and I sat at our desks and Rukia leaned against Ichigo's desk, I finally confronted them. "Is something wrong? You two have been giving me weird looks."

"We were just...," Rukia started, crossing her arms over her chest. "We're a little confused. You seemed pretty upset earlier, and now you seem fine."

I nodded, understanding. "I just...It's not like I'm just over it, I just don't want it to distract me from everything else that's going on."

They nodded and dropped it. I was thankful for that. Rukia sighed tiredly, which made me feel even more guilty. Kneeling over, she laid her head on Ichigo's desk, leaning it against his arms as they rested on the wooden surface. He rested a hand on Rukia's head lightly, absently messing with her hair as she continued to rest on him.

I smiled, but turned my attention to the window absently, leaving them alone. My thoughts drifted to Renji for the millionth time that day, wondering if he had made it to the Soul Society safely. I wondered if he was still mad at me, if he was going to forgive me for whatever I had done. I frowned, trying to push the thoughts away. Luckily, Keigo made it easier for me.

"What's with them?" I heard said boy ask, standing in front of my desk. I looked up at him, annoyed by his presence alone.

"I think they're just tired, leave them alone," I said absently.

"So," he started, changing the subject. "I see you're alone." His words made my heart clench. "Did something happen?"

"None of your business," I said through my teeth.

"Oh, something did happen!" he said enthusiastically, a grin spreading over his features. "Does that mean you're single?"

"No, of course not!" I shouted, then thought about it. "I don't...I don't know. Leave me alone!"

"Why so touchy, you barely knew the guy. Don't be afraid to admit that you got dumped, it's okay," he continued, causing tears to form along my eyelids. "He's an idiot, he apparently doesn't know when he has something great-"

"SHUT UP!" I suddenly demanded, the tears escaping and sliding down my face. "Renji's not an idiot! And I am not an _object_ to be owned by any man! I'm a person, a human being! Shut the hell up and leave me the **fuck** alone!" Every eye was on me and Keigo decided to try to keep the little pride he had left.

"You bitch, what's your problem?"

I stood abruptly and grabbed the collar of his shirt with my good hand. I was probably about a foot taller than him, easily, and I hovered over him angrily. "You better just get the hell out of my face and shut up, before you regret it," my voice was surprisingly gruff. I was breathing deeply, trying to calm myself.

The boy pulled away from my grip, his face red, and stormed out of the room. People laughed and I just glared and sat back down, holding my head in my hand.

Ichigo and Rukia had obviously been watching. Leaning over, filling in the gap between our desks, Ichigo asked, "You okay, Mina?" His voice was calm and sympathetic, like it was on the phone the other night.

I nodded, wiping the tears from my face carefully with my hand attached to the broken limb. "Yes, I just...blew up. I'm sorry, that was...not like me at all."

"Don't apologize, Mina," I heard Rukia say. I refused to look up at them. "Everyone needs to get their anger out sometimes. You seem like the type to hold it in a lot, that was good for you." As she continued a smile crept into her voice. "Renji would be proud."

At first her comment stung, just by the mention of his name. Then I imagined how he would react if he had witnessed my outburst. Laughing, a grin crossed my features. Nodding, I laughed again, feeling a lot better. I directed my grin toward her and said, "Thanks Rukia."

_-:-_

The rest of day had been bearable after Rukia's little joke. It sounds strange, I know, but it really just lifted my spirits. I had an easier time focusing and keeping myself together after it.

At lunch everyone who normally ate together, excluding Renji was there. Even Keigo decided to join us, although he was ridiculed the whole time. After fifteen minutes or so of the lunch period, Ichigo and Rukia excused themselves, saying they needed to go back to the classroom and grab something. I didn't think much about it and continued eating my lunch. After I was done I stood and told the group I was going to the bathroom.

As I went back into the building and approached our classroom I heard Ichigo and Rukia talking. Their words were mumbles, incoherent. I peeked in, not wanting to disturb them, but curious to see if something was wrong. I looked in and saw them standing close. Ichigo's back was to me and Rukia was standing in front of him, his torso blocking her view of me. Ichigo made a movement that looked like he had grabbed Rukia's hands, but I couldn't tell for sure.

The next thing I saw was Rukia seeming to pull away. My guess about Ichigo's actions were correct, but Rukia had only pulled away to wrap her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest while slightly standing on her toes. I smiled, continuing to watch, hopefully getting a clear sign that they were dating. And then I got one.

Rukia laughed at something he had said and stepped even closer to him, her feet resting on his as she pulled herself higher. Her neck arched, Rukia pressed her lips against Ichigo's and her arms now clung to his neck. He kissed her back. They stood like that for awhile, so I pulled my head away from the crack in the door, my eyes wide.

_I knew it! This is great!_ I thought, smiling. I returned to the group on the roof, forgetting completely why I had gone inside at all.

_-:-_

After school I went to Ichigo's house, he and Rukia still not aware that I knew about the two. I decided to keep quiet about it until they were ready to go public.

The first thing Rukia did as we entered Ichigo's room was pull out her soul pager. I looked up at her questioningly. "I'm going to try to call Renji, so you guys can talk," she said before I had a chance to ask what she was doing.

Nodding, I sat on the bed, my hands immediately folding in my lap. Ichigo noticed and roughly pat my shoulder, not realizing how rough he was being. I smiled at him and ignored my now sore shoulder.

Without dialing Rukia held the phone-looking device up to her ear, waiting. "Hello? Renji?" she asked. "Yeah...yeah, that's why I called. She's right here...Okay, okay...Re-...Renji listen to me. Before you say anything, _think_. Got it?...," she said, sounding strict, like his mother or something. She laughed after he responded. "I'm sure you have thought plenty about it. You're always over analyzing things," she teased. "Oh, don't sound so serious...Okay, here she is." With that she handed the soul pager to me, grabbing Ichigo's hand and pulling him from the desk's chair. She walked out of the room, Ichigo being dragged behind her. He shut the door before leaving me alone.

I held the device up to my ear, taking a deep breathe. "Renji? Hey..."

"Hey Mina...," he said back. "Listen, I'm sorry I screamed at you like that. It was stupid, all you did was ask me a question, I had no right to be such an ass."

"Don't worry about it, I forgive you...I'm sorry I upset you," I answered, my brow creasing.

"You didn't. It's not your fault, don't worry about it."

"Alright...so,...are we okay?" I asked, a bad feeling lingering around me.

"Well," he started, pausing, the line silent. I waited, my breathe coming out in shorter intervals, more like gasps. "Mina..."

"What?" I demanded nervously.

"This...isn't going to work out," he answered, my heart clenching tightly in my chest.

"Wh-...what? Renji...Why? What did I do?" I questioned, panicked.

"Nothing! Mina...it's not like you did something wrong. I just...I can't do this."

"What? A long distance relationship?" I asked, the blood draining from my face.

I heard him laugh, but it was dry. "No, a relationship at all...It's not working out...It's not good for you at all," he said, sounding guilty.

"What? Being happy isn't good for me?" I screamed, tears suddenly pouring from my eyes.

"Mina, you barely know me, okay. Don't get so upset. This is good for you, you're not caught up in any of my problems. You just...," he started, sighing. Somehow his voice sounded hurt, like he didn't want this to happen either. But it had to be my imagination. "You have to just get over it. Deal with it. You'll be fine."

I cried harder, still holding the phone up to my hear. My left arm being broken, I pressed my lips shut in order to stay quiet.

"I'm sorry, Mina. I should have never...even talked to you. I'm sorry." And with that he hung up. No goodbye. Nothing.

"I love you, Renji...," I said through my sobs, knowing he was gone. I shut the soul pager and dropped it on the floor, not realizing. I laid across Ichigo's bed, burying my face in his pillow, his familiar sent surrounding me. I continued to cry and Ichigo and Rukia didn't come back. They must have thought I was still on the phone so they left me alone. So I laid there, mourning over losing someone else important to me.

_-:-_

Okay, so, there's chapter seventeen! :D Hope you all liked it! :) Please, let me know what you think! :) Review please! See ya next time!


	18. Danger?

Okay, so I'm back. I know I won't be able to finish this right now, I have to be somewhere in a few hours. I just want to start it! :P

Anyway, here's chapter 18! :P

_-:-_

_ Mina's POV:_

The last words I had said after Renji hung up continued to run through my mind. As I pondered over my statement, I was able to calm down considerably. I sat up in Ichigo's bed, my legs crossed under me, going over the phrase that had escaped my lips just seconds after Renji hung up. _"I love you, Renji."_ The fact that it had come out so easily was a shock to me.

_Mina, it's not a big deal,_ I thought, forcing myself not to worry. _You said you loved him. He's a good person, he _was_ nice to you. You _do_ love him, but you're not _in _love with him. So it's really not something to get caught up. Besides, he just dumped you, get over it._

Though I was brutally honest with myself, I nodded, not letting myself cry over something that was over. Not anymore. I stood and swiftly walked to Ichigo's bathroom, turning on the faucet right away. I splashed the cold water into my face, letting drops of it slide off my nose and chin. Grabbing a towel out from under the sink, I dried off my face and laid the towel on the edge of the sink, the faucet now off.

Sighing, I left Ichigo's bathroom and exited his room, descending the stairs. As I quietly approached the living room I saw Ichigo and Rukia sitting on the couch, Ichigo's arm resting along the couch behind Rukia. Rukia was leaning her head on Ichigo's shoulder, sighing tiredly as she held onto his hand. Surprisingly they didn't move away from each other like I expected when I entered the room.

"Mina, hey," Rukia said, looking up at me. "You two alright? He apologized didn't he?" Her questions caused my heart to clench in my chest, but my gaze didn't falter and no tears threatened to spill from my eyes.

"Yes, he apologized. Then he dumped me," I answered, my tone dripping with bitterness.

Rukia's large eyes grew even bigger in her surprise. "What? Are you serious?" she asked.

Nodding, I sat on the opposite side of the couch as them, facing the pair.

"Why? Did he say why?" Rukia pressed.

"He just said 'I can't do this' and 'It's better for you'. Everything was vague and didn't make much sense," I answered.

"Well, are you okay? You're pretty calm about this," she stated, concern in her eyes.

"Yes, I'm alright. He hung up over an hour ago, I've been thinking about it and I've come to peace with it, I guess," I responded, my gaze still firm.

"Are you sure? It's okay if you're upset."

"I am upset. But I'm more angry than anything. Thanks, Rukia, but I'll be okay."

She nodded and looked away, a small glare on her face. I noticed and asked, "Rukia, are _you_ okay?"

"I'm mad too. That idiot does this to himself too often." Her statement earned her a confused look. "Don't get the wrong idea, it's not like he dates often," she continued after noticing. "He just...whenever he does and he starts to get close to the person, like he was with you, he pulls away. Sometimes I think he's just afraid of commitment, but I could be wrong. That's about the only thing Renji won't talk to me about, why he does that every time.

"And I even warned him before he talked to you that you were fragile. No offense, but you had just lost your father and you're a human. We've both been around you living people long enough to realize that your actions are based more off of your feelings than logic. Because we've had training to ignore our emotions, we can easily hurt you humans. But he ignored me and look what he's done," she ranted, sighing after she had finished. "I'm really sorry, Mina."

I smiled at her and shook my head. "Nonsense. It's not your fault. Thank you for looking out for me. Both of you," I said, directing my smile at Ichigo and then back to Rukia.

"No problem," Rukia said while Ichigo just nodded.

Sighing, I laid down on the couch, resting my legs over their laps. They allowed it, so I grabbed a pillow and pulled it under my head, letting my eyes close. Without much effort I fell into unconsciousness, dreams caused by my anger plaguing me.

_-:-_

_ Renji's POV:_

I sat at my new desk, in my new office, a thin manila folder containing the only paper work I had to do sitting in front of me. Lost in thought all day, I had left the papers in their place since they arrived, pushing them to the bottom of my list of important things to do. Because the first thing was checked off, dumping Mina, all I had to do was forget about dumping Mina and do the minor work that I had been ignoring. The only problem: I had no luck forgetting my conversation with the girl.

Sighing, I thought _'The girl'? Who are you trying to kid? No matter what you call her, she's not going to stop consuming your attention._ The fact that this statement was true was enough to drive me crazy.

"What the fuck is your problem?" I asked myself, carelessly dropping my head to my desk, the contact making a _clunk_.

"Lieuti-Uh, Captain Abarai? Is everything okay?"Someone asked as they seemed to have snuck into my office. I assumed they just had their head in the door. I recognized the voice vaguely, definitely a man from my squad.

"Fine, thanks," I answered without bothering to lift my head and make eye contact. There was really no point.

"Let me know if you need any assistance, Sir," the voice said nervously.

"Alright...," I answered absently before the door swiftly shut.

Anger coursed through me as I had epically failed to accomplish a single task on my first day as Captain. I sat up, grabbing the manila envelope, and carelessly ripping it open. I pulled the papers out, less than half a dozen to do, and scattered them along my desk. Grabbing a pen, I started the first page, forcing myself to do the simple chore.

I had half the page finished when I heard Mina's voice in my head. _'Why? What did I do?...What? Being happy isn't good for me?'. _She blamed herself for something that was just...me. It was my fault, I wanted to end it, so I did. But she was blaming _herself _and I hated it. She was left there without any explanation, probably thinking that I hated her or I was bored of her. But that was definitely not it.

I just...had to end it. She had broken her arm because _I_ was gone and couldn't do anything about it. She was constantly being attacked by hollows because she hung around me and Rukia and Ichigo so often, and I knew when I broke up with her that they would still hang out with her. But I was one less person affecting her spiritual energy. And that had to make a difference. Honestly...I _hated_ breaking up with her. But if I had let it get worse, she could have died because I wasn't around to protect her.

The reason I wouldn't explain any of this to Mina was because I knew it made no sense. Or, I knew it wouldn't make sense to her. But it made perfect sense to me. If I could get her as far away from me as possible, she'd be safe. That's why I dumped her. That's one reason why I dumped her.

"Captain Abarai, Sir, we're having trouble finding the lieutenant. I'm sorry to bother you, but have you seen her?" the sudden question brought me out of my stupor, causing my head to snap upwards slightly.

Staring at the anxious woman with an eyebrow cocked, I waited for her to speak, not realizing that she already had.

"...Sir?" she asked, her voice small.

"Sorry, what did you say?" I asked, rubbing my eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted from my lack of concentration.

"We're looking for Lieutenant Shirogane, Sir. Have you seen her?" she asked again.

Shaking my head curtly, I looked down at my paper work again, determined to get something done. "I'm sorry for bothering you, Captain," the woman said sheepishly, causing me to look back up at her.

"No, you didn't, sorry. Just distracted. Don't worry about it," I answered, still frustrated with myself but not wanting to take it out on the rest of the squad.

Smiling, the woman I sadly didn't know by name said, "Thank you, Sir," and left.

Sighing, I looked back down at the paper work and shook my head, knowing there was no way I was going to be able to finish it. Not today.

_-:-_

_ Mina's POV:_

I awoke at around six-thirty, surprisingly Ichigo and Rukia still seated on the couch, talking to each other. They were so close and talked so low, I couldn't understand what they were saying, but it didn't matter. I had no intentions of eavesdropping.

Sitting up and brushing my hair over my shoulder, out of my face, I looked at the two placed under my legs. Noticing that I had woken up, they pulled away from each other slightly, turning to me as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

"Morning, Mina," Rukia said, a small smile on her face. She laid a hand on my leg absently, the gesture comforting.

Smiling back at her widely, I said, "Hey Rukia, Ichigo."

"Yo," Ichigo said absently, leaning his head against Rukia's tiredly, ignoring my smile as it widened and was directed at him.

"You doing okay?" Rukia asked, her hand now firmly planted on my arm. She looked so concerned about me, you would think there had been another family death that had taken place.

"I'm fine. Really. You don't have to keep worrying about me or checking up on me. I appreciate the concern, really. But it'll be easier if you don't ask me how I'm doing every few minutes." My response came out extremely friendly, but surprised me. The way my tone almost sounded rude but at the same time calm. I didn't intend to insult her, but unfortunately I did.

Rukia's small eyebrows turned down in a glare, her eyes growing cloudy with anger. "Excuse me for caring about you!" she exclaimed, her arms now crossed over her small chest.

"Rukia, I really didn't mean to upset you-" I started before she cut me off.

"Whatever!" As she barked her reply she pushed my legs away, effectively getting me off of her and Ichigo's laps.

"Rukia, calm down," Ichigo started, grabbing one of her hands, forcing it out of it's tight fist.

"Hmph," she responded, pulling her hand out of his grip. Standing, she stomped up the stairs

Ichigo sighed, standing swiftly and started up the stairs after her. I stood also and called for him to stop. "I'm sorry about that, Ichigo," I said, feeling guilty.

"Don't worry about it. She's been in a bad mood all day, it's not you," he answered, obviously eager to get to Rukia.

"Well, I'm going to head out," I said, allowing him to leave, although he didn't.

"You don't have to, not just because she got mad. Just let her cool off."

"It's alright. I should get home, I've got homework and stuff to do. Tell Rukia I said I'm sorry, okay?" I asked, grabbing my school bag off the floor and draping it over my shoulder.

"Okay. See you, Mina," he said and quickly ascended the rest of the stairs.

I walked out of the Kurosaki clinic and started on my way home. As I continued through the familiar path memories of Renji walking me home flooded my mind. Usually I would force the thoughts away, not allowing myself to reflect on the experiences that meant so much to me. But because I had been so...placid after I let it all out, I decided to consent the memories to run through my head, making me smile at the good times I had had with Renji. As I continued on my way home I continued to smile at the memories engulfing my thoughts.

_-:-_

_ Renji's POV:_

As I continued to sit in my office and attempt to finish the tiny amount of paper work, I mentally gave up. There was no point. No matter how many hours I sat in that chair, staring at the work I needed to do, I couldn't do it. Not today.

Suddenly, after staring at the paper without seeing it, a Hell Butterfly approached me, taking me out of my stupor. I watched it as I waited for it to land and tell me my message. _"To the Captain of the Sixth Division, Renji Abarai, you are to report to the Head Captain. Immediately. That is all."_

Sighing, I stood and dismissed the Hell Butterfly. I left my office right away and headed toward my destination, approaching it in minutes. The guard standing outside of Yamamoto's office gave me a stern look but soon realized who I was, allowing me in. I expected to see the rest of the captains lined up, waiting for me to step in line where Byakuya was usually placed. But it was just me and Yamamoto.

"Come here, Abarai," he said, sitting across the room in his chair that towered over me.

I did as he said and looked up at him, my confusion rising. "Sir, what's this about?" I asked, suddenly a little panicked. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes. It seems there's a strange spiritual pressure on Earth. It's been located in Karakura Town, close to Kurosaki and Kuchiki. The spiritual power appears to be of a human, but it's not like Kurosaki's at all. We need that human to be brought to the Soul Society and I thought it best to send you," he said, causing my eyes to widen.

After swallowing the lump in my throat I asked, "If you got a hold of the human...what would you do to them?"

He looked up at me, a little confused by my question, but answered, "It depends. This human seems to be attracting hollows to the area, more than Kurosaki himself has attracted. If the human turns out to be a danger at all, then we'll have no choice but to destroy the person."

All the blood drained from my face as I tried not to let my shock show on my face. I stiffened, trying to calm myself down as Yamamoto just watched me, seeming to be suspicious.

"I thought you wouldn't be too busy and you're the only one from your squad that's had experience staying in the World of the Living longer than a day at a time. I ask that you return to Earth this afternoon. Take the time that you need, you are assigned to stay for a month. If you haven't found the human by then, then you are to return to the Soul Society. Do you understand?"

I nodded, my hands clutched into fists. "Yes, Sir."

"Alright. You are dismissed," he said, looking back down as I exited the room. I stared ahead of me as I numbly headed back to my office. _So, _I thought, _I have to back to Earth, find Mina right after I dumped her...and capture her to bring back to Soul Society with me...then they might..._ I felt the lump in my throat return, my mouth becoming dry. _They might _kill _her._

_-:-_

Okay, so. :) There you have it. It took me days to write this. :/ I hated that, but I'm glad it's done. I'm not fond of this chapter, but I just had to make the whole transferring chapter, shifting from the tragedy of Renji breaking up with Mina to his assignment to capture her. :) So, I hope you enjoyed it anyway.

Alright, well, please review! :D


	19. The Secret's Out

I'm back! :D

So, not much to say, so here's chapter 19! :)

_-:-_

_ Mina's POV:_

After arriving at home I took a quick shower, told Mom about what happened with Renji, and talked to her for a little while. She asked me if I was alright almost as often as Rukia did and I assured her that I would be fine. After we finished our conversation Mom and I had a quick dinner and she went to bed. I stayed up and tried to do my homework, but I lacked the abilty to concentrate, so I soon gave up.

Sitting in my room, I absently placed my Algebra book back in my bag along with the worksheet I hadn't been able to completle. I laid on the bed, turning my lamp off. Sighing, I allowed my eyes to close, but they soon opened. Having trouble sleeping, I scanned my room, the walls soaked in moonlight.

As I continued to stare off, something caught my eye. Something was outside of my window, moving swiftly. I couldn't see what is was until it stopped directly in front of it. It was a person, but it was too dark to see their features. Freaked out, I pulled the blankets closer, staring at the figure with wide eyes. The window started to open and I backed up against the wall, not believing that this was actually happening.

"Who are you! What do you want?" I demanded, having a hard time breathing.

"Sh, calm down," the figure said, his voice causing my heart to clench in my chest. _This _has _to be a dream..._

"R-Renji?" I asked, tears pricking at my eyes from my terror.

He sighed quietly and stepped into my room, closing the window carefully. "Yeah, _sh_."

"What are you doing here? I thought you were in the Soul Society," I answered, lowering my voice.

"It's...a long story," he answered, his hand running through his hair while he avoided my gaze.

Tears began to run down my face at his sudden presence, but I refused to allow my tone to let him know I was upset. "What do you want?" I asked coldly.

"Listen, this is going to sound crazy...I have to take you back to the Soul Society with me," he said, his voice as calm as ever.

"Wait...What?" I asked, feeling myself pull further away from him as he took a few steps closer to my bed.

"Something's different about your spiritual energy and it's attracting hollows. They want to...study you or something and see if you're a danger to the other humans around here," he said, causing my tear-filled eyes to widen.

"What?...What happens if I am...dangerous?" I asked, my voice small.

"It doesn't matter, you're not," he said in a firm voice.

"Renji, what are they going to do if I'm dangerous?" I demanded, my voice louder now.

"They're not going to do anything to you," he answered, a glare on his face but he wasn't directing it at me.

"They want to k-kill me, don't they?" I asked, my voice cracking as my fear sunk in.

"They're not going to touch you," he said, his tone softer than before as he finally looked at me.

After staring up at him for a few minutes I felt a glare cross my features. "As if you care," I said hatefully, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Of course I do," he answered, a guilty expression on his face.

"Then why'd you dump me?" I asked, suddenly more angry than afraid.

He sighed and looked away. "Now's not the time for that. I have to take you back to the Soul Society, come on," he said, stepping closer to me and grabbing my arm lightly.

Pulling my arm away roughly, my glare deepened. "No! Talk to me!" I demanded, jumping off my bed and stepping further away from him. He continued to approach me as I backed up, eventually being cornered. "Stop, Renji! Tell me why you dumped me!"

"Mina, be quiet, you're going to wake up your mom!" he said in a harsh whisper.

"No! Get away from me unless you're going to talk to me about it," I finished as more tears ran down my face.

As he leaned closer to me all the anger and frustration drained from his face. His hands found their way onto my shoulders as he became eye level with me, although he was still avoiding my gaze. His face was full of guilt again. As he rested his forehead against mine I unknowingly held my breathe. I didn't understand why he was acting like this after _he_ broke up with _me_.

"Renji...," I said, the word whispered and airy. My voice caused his eyes to fall on mine, remorse flooding them. He shook his head slightly, his face only a few inches from mine. Before I could process what he was doing, he closed the small space between us and kissed me lightly. I placed my hands against his chest, getting ready to push him away, but just ended up grabbing handfuls of the black material that his shinigami uniform consisted of.

Moments later he pulled away and straightened up. "Now's not the time to talk about it," he repeated, looking down at me. I stared up at him with wide eyes, shock running it's course through me. Before I had the chance to say a word, Renji leaned forward and grabbed me around the waist, flinging me over his shoulder carelessly, heading toward the window again.

"W-wait! Renji, put me down!" I began as he made his way out of my window.

"Be quiet, Mina," he said absently, not seeming to be paying attention to me. After exiting through the opening in my wall, he slid the window shut and turned around. To my surprise, he was standing in midair, causing me to panic. I clung to him instantly, compelling Renji to chuckle. "Calm down," he stated, his voice not sounding like someone who had just laughed.

The next thing I knew, Renji had his sword in hand, facing it at nothing at all. It was pointed out in front of him as he twisted it, the motion looking like he were unlocking a door. He muttered something I couldn't understand and suddenly a door appeared in front of us. It looked old fashioned and dark.

"Ready?" he asked, absently shifting me over his strong shoulder.

"Ready for what?" I asked, but he didn't answer. He just stepped into the door as two black butterflies flew out. Then, we were in Soul Society.

_-:-_

The place was bright, causing my eyes to cloud up. After being drenched in the dark, the sudden brightness of the place made my eyes sting. Glancing around I saw people in uniforms similar to Renji's staring at us. My cheeks burned as Renji continued to carry me through the Soul Society.

"Put me down! I'm capable of walking!" I demanded, but he didn't make any action that made it seem like he was going to listen to me.

"I can't afford to lose you," he answered, my heart clenching at my misunderstanding. He quickly explained. "I'm supposed to take you to the head Captain, and if you try to run away, that's not going to be good for either of us."

"I won't run away, just sit me down!" I ordered, slamming my fist against his back roughly, although he didn't seem to notice.

"Nope," he said, continuing toward his destination. It was probably best for him to not let me down. I know I wouldn't be anywhere near fast enough to get away from Renji, but if it meant delaying my punishment and making things harder for Renji, I definitely would have done it.

I sighed, anger pulsing through me. _He_ had no right to do this to me, especially right after dumping me.

"Calm down, we're here. Now listen," he started, grabbing me and sitting me in front of him, restraining me. "Don't fight me, just go in there, let them do their tests. I won't let them hurt you," he finished, his expression stern and serious.

Trying to pull away from him, I directed my glare upward. "I don't need _you_ to protect me!"

"Trust me, yes you do," he answered, just as serious. "Don't worry," he continued as if I hadn't denied his help. "They're not going to touch you if they plan on killing you." As he finished I noticed he jaw tighten and a glare cross his features. "Just come on," he said, straightening up and approaching a tall door with a man standing outside of it. He looked like the guard of the place, so I relaxed under Renji's grip and allowed him to lead me forward.

"Captain Abarai, what do you need?" the man asked in an annoyed tone.

"I've got the human Yamamoto-san ordered me to capture," he said, earning a glare from me.

The other man nodded and opened the door. As Renji led me into the huge room I muttered to him, "'Human'? 'Capture'? What am I, a monster?" my tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Calm down. That's the term we use for living people. And I technically had to capture you, you were being so stubborn," he answered.

"_Hmph_."

"Abarai? You're back already?" An old man was sitting in a huge chair that towered over both me and Renji easily. He had a long gray beard and long eyebrows to match. His head was bald and he had scars all along his wrinkled face.

"Yes, Sir. I've got her," he said, his tone serious.

The old man stood from his seat and walked down a narrow set of steps that led up to the chair. He approached us and stood directly in front me, causing Renji's grip on my arm to tighten nervously. The man's hand was suddenly cupping my face, studying it as I tried to avoid his steady gaze, biting my lip.

"Hm...," he started, glancing at Renji with a stern look. "This girl isn't dangerous at all," he said, dropping my face from his thin, wrinkled hand.

"W-what?" Renji asked, his eyes wide with surprise. "That's...all you wanted her for?"

"Abarai, I know what you did," the man said, ignoring Renji's question. "To tell a human about the Soul Society is a grave sin."

My eyes grew wide also as I looked up at Renji, noticing his eyebrows raise at the old man's words.

"Wh-...But how did you...?" Renji stuttered, unable to make a complete sentence.

"Why did you break one of the most important rules you are to follow? What made you tell this human? Surely you had a good excuse," the man said, sounding angry and harsh.

"I...I don't know-"

"We can not let this go unpunished, Abarai," Yamamoto said, interrupting Renji's lame answer. "And not only are you going to be punished, but the girl as well." With that said, Renji instinctively pulled me behind him, standing tall in front of Yamamoto, a glare plastered on his face. His actions caused the old man to look at him in disbelief for a second before he regained his composure. "Surely you aren't going to disobey me again and try to stop my commands."

"She didn't do anything, you have no reason to harm her," Renji said through a clenched jaw. His aggressiveness scared me and I knew that my assumption about them wanting to kill me was correct. I stepped closer to Renji in fear and grabbed onto the back of his Shinigami uniform.

"No, she didn't. But it will show you that your actions don't just effect yourself. You're a captain now, that'll be a significant lesson for you to learn, Abarai."

"You're not touching her!" he shouted, his hand landing on the hilt of his sword.

"I suggest you calm down," the old man said, his voice more stern than it had been through out the whole conversation.

"You're willing to kill an innocent human just to make me learn a lesson?" he demanded.

"Why are you protecting her?"

"Because she's innocent! There's no need for her to be punished!"

"Why are you protecting this human, even though it means your punishment will be more severe!"

"I love her!" he shouted, his posture becoming stiff immediately following his statement. Mine did also as my face flushed.

Yamamoto looked as surprised and uncomfortable as we must have. No one said anything, we just stood in silence while Renji's words hung in the air.

After clearing his throat, Renji finally said, "You're not going to touch her," calmer but still sounding angry.

"Wait. You _what_?" I obliged, getting Renji's attention.

"Shut up, never mind that for now," he said absently, not allowing me to consume his attention.

"No! If I'm going to die, I think I deserve and explanation!" I stated.

"You're _not_ going to die, just shut up," he said, still not even throwing me a glance.

"This is really important, Renji!" I exclaimed, stepping out from behind Renji and taking my place in front of him.

"It's not the most important thing right now!" he said, pushing me back behind him as he directed his attention to Yamamoto.

"Do you still plan to defend this human, no matter what the consequence?" the old man asked, acting like we hadn't just had an outburst.

"Yes."

"Then you leave me no choice," he said. Renji used his thumb to pull his zanpakuto out, a mall section of the sword gleaming. "Don't be ridiculous, Abarai," Yamamoto continued. "I'm not going to fight you, that would only end with your death and the girls." A low growl followed his words, coming from Renji as his glare deepened and his teeth bared slightly.

The man stepped away from us and walked back up his narrow staircase, sitting in his chair and laying his hand down, seeming to push a button. That must have been it, because right after he did this the guard came into the room and unsheathed his own zanpakuto. Renji quickly turned around and pulled me behind him again. "Stay back," he said to me, drawing his sword swiftly, holding it in a defensive position. Without any further warning their battle began.

_-:-_

Okay, so I'm stopping it here! :D Don't you all love me? Ha ha! :)

So, I figure there's only two or three chapters left of this. And I'm pretty sure I've already said this, but this time I mean it. I'm sad, but you can all look forward to a sequel right away! :P

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it was hard but fun to write! :)

Thanks, review!


	20. Getting Off Easy

Allo! :D I'm back with my second to last chapter! I hope all of you like this chapter, because I'm just winging it, honestly. Ha ha. :)

Okay, here it is, chapter 20!

_-:-_

_ Mina's POV:_

All I could do was stand there and watch as Renji fought. At first I was sure he was going to win, but it's not like that mattered. Even if he beat this guy, there would definitely be more. It's not like as long as he beat this guy everything was going to be okay.

After what seemed like mere minutes the guard was dominating Renji. Though I couldn't really follow most of their movements, I could tell that much. As I continued to watch as best as I could, something happened. Both of them stopped, facing each other, still. A second later blood spilled from a massive wound that ran down Renji's chest. He fell to the ground, dropping his sword as the blood continued to seep from his midsection.

"Now I'll end it!" the guard shouted, raising his own sword over his head.

"NO!" I screamed and ran in front of him, my arms open as I attempted to protect Renji.

"Get out of the way or you'll die with him," he said in a low voice.

"No! Stay away from him!" I shouted back, tears surfacing in my eyes.

"Fine, have it your way," he muttered and shouted an attack I didn't really hear. He began to swing and I closed my eyes, still planted in front of Renji's still form.

"Enough!" The voice came from above us, I recognized it as Yamamoto's right away. I snapped my head in his direction and saw him descending his stairs, approaching us. "You were not ordered to kill Abarai or this girl. Put your weapon down, you are finished," he ordered, his tone strict.

"Y-yes Sir." With the man sheathed his sword and took a few steps away.

Yamamoto took a step closer to Renji and I stepped in front of him, not allowing him to pass. A weak glare crossed my features.

"Calm down, I'm only looking," he said simply, carefully pushing me aside. He knelt down, which seemed to be a struggle, and placed a hand on Renji's shoulder. The contact caused Renji's eyes to snap open, looking surprised. He tried to push himself up, so he could stand, but only fell back to the ground with a grunt. I knelt next to him quickly.

"Renji, don't move," I whispered, trying to regain my composure.

"Get Unohana right away," Yamamoto said to the guard, glaring up at him. Turning back to me he said, "I apologize for this. He was not supposed to injure Abarai, only find a way to restrain him. I should have stopped their fight long ago."

I shook my head, not willing to answer him.

Minutes later a woman stepped in the room, a long black braid wrapped around her chin and hanging down to the front of her to her waist. She had a naturally calm face; it was soft like a mother's. She approached us, giving me a warm smile before helping Yamamoto stand. She knelt in his place and started flipping Renji onto his back.

"Are you sure you should be moving him?" I asked, getting a small laugh from the kind looking woman.

"Don't worry, Dear," she started, finally turning Renji over. "I know what I'm doing." She turned her attention to Renji, who was now only half conscious. "Abarai, how are you feeling?" she asked, placing her hands in the air above his wound. Suddenly a soft light was emitting from her hands, no one seeming to find it strange but myself.

Renji managed to smile as he let his head fall back against the floor. "Great," he muttered.

The woman was amused with his answer and nodded. "Good. I'll have you fixed up in no time, just relax," she said absently as his eyes slid closed.

"Is he going to be okay?" I asked, anxiously biting my lip.

"Yes, he'll be fine. The wound's pretty deep but I got here just in time. No need to worry," she answered, smiling at me again. Her words made me feel a lot better.

Feeling confident, I looked up at Yamamoto and asked, "What is our punishment going to be?"

He looked back down at me, a neutral expression on his face. "I don't know. I don't feel the need to punish Abarai any further. Nothing too drastic, that is. There will be something, just not as severe. He took a beating he didn't deserve, I don't feel the need to do much more."

"Are you going to take away his title?" I questioned, feeling guilt sink in as I blamed myself for this.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you demoting him from Captain?"

The old man looked away in thought, his long eyebrows drawn together. After a few minutes of his silence he shook his head. "No," he said simply, giving no explanation.

I nodded, glad that I hadn't ruined Renji's career as a shinigami. "Well, what about me?"

"What about you?" he asked.

"What's my punishment?"

He shook his head again, still avoiding my gaze. "No punishment," he answered, surprising me. This man, when I first met him, seemed so harsh and rude. But now he was showing me mercy. And even Renji, who broke an important law. I didn't quite understand, but I wasn't about to question it.

"Wow, Yamamoto-san," the woman with the braid started, smiling up at him. "You've softened."

He returned her smile, the gesture making him look older than ever. "I suppose I have," he answered.

Relief spread through me and I really couldn't believe how easy this all was. Except for Renji's injuries, we were just...getting off easy. I was glad.

"So are you going to just send the girl back to Earth, Sir?" Unohana asked while still aiding Renji.

"Yes, I suppose so. I'll have Abarai take her back when he's recovered fully."

The woman directed her smile to me. "You should be honored, young lady," she began. "You're an ally of the Soul Society. Not many humans can say that."

Nodding, I smiled back at her and then at Yamamoto. "Thank you, Sir. I really appreciate it."

"Of course," he answered, looking away again. I'm not positive, but I think he was a little disappointed with himself for being so easy going toward us, but he never acted like he was going to change his mind.

Suddenly Renji stirred next to me and sat up. His wound was completely gone and he looked perfectly fine. "Careful, Abarai," Unohana said, standing and helping his stand slowly. I stood also, absently grabbing onto Renji's arm. He thanked the woman for her help and looked over at Yamamoto.

"Why did you have her heal me?" he asked, looking suspicious.

"The course of action that he took was too much. I didn't intend to have you hurt in anyway, I just needed you restrained so we could punish the human without your interference." As he answered, Renji slightly pushed me behind him again and a glare found it's way onto his face. "But," the old man continued when he noticed him. "I have decided to let her go. You have been punished enough, but you will be assigned lower class duties. You will remain the captain of the sixth squad, but you may not push these duties to any of your subordinates. Am I clear?"

Renji's eyes were wide with surprise as he nodded slowly. "Ye-yes, Sir," he answered, still in disbelief.

"Now, if you are feeling up to it, return the girl to the World of the Living and return here to do your work. That is all, you are all dismissed," he started, looking back at the guard angrily. "Except for you."

With that, we exited the room I never expected to leave. Renji thanked Unohana again before she left and then looked down at me.

"I guess...I'll take you home now," he said, walking away, expecting me to follow him.

As I caught up with him, I looked up at his face and saw how uncomfortable he looked. A smile crossed my features. "Renji, we have to talk," I said, my smile turning into a full smirk.

_-:-_

Okay, so I'm sorry the excuse for them to get off is so lame. Like, it was just...lame, that's the only way I can describe it. :) Sorry, I know you all must be frustrated with me because I know it's lame and won't fix it, but I'm just...I don't know any other way to end it.

Although it's not over. I mean, there's one more chapter. Then it will be over.

Oh, and sorry for cutting off at such a spot. I just...I plan on the last chapter being pretty long, so don't be too disappointed! :D

Okay, please review! :D Thanks!


	21. The Conclusion

Okay, I'm back with the final chapter. :/ Bittersweet moment, that's what this is. :)

Anyway, thank you all who has stayed with this story and reviewed for me. I have gotten tons of great constructive criticism, and I appreciate it SO much! :)

For all of you wonderful readers, I will try to make the last chapter as great as it can be! :P Please, keep an eye out for the sequel, it should be up in a few days ! :D

Here we go, chapter 21, the final chapter.

_-:-_

_ Mina's POV:_

I continued to walk beside Renji, looking up at him as his face gave away his discomfort. Smiling, I said, "Renji, we need to talk." He only looked ahead of himself and refused to respond. Sighing, I stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"Move Mina," he ordered, sounding frustrated.

"You gonna talk to me?" I asked, hands on my hips.

He continued to look forward, over my head, avoiding my gaze. "You heard what I said," he stated.

"Yes. I did."

"Then what do you want?" he suddenly demanded, glaring down at me.

"I want you to explain to me why you dumped me! And why you kissed me when you came into my room! Don't you find your actions a little contradicting? My God, Renji, and then you go and say you love me, what am I supposed to believe!" I returned the gesture and he held my gaze for a second before looking away. His scowl faded.

Shrugging his shoulders, he said, "I don't know..."

"Tell me. Tell me the truth," I said, grabbing his hands, trying to make him look at me again. He didn't.

After a second of silence his hands away from mine and stepped around me, continuing to walk. "I need to get you home," he said. I followed and looked up at him while keeping his pace.

"No, Renji. We're not just _not_ going to talk about it!" I stated, my anger building inside me.

"You should believe," he began, a neutral expression on his face, "what I told Yamamoto."

"That you love me?" I asked, calming down.

"Yeah," he answered quietly.

I smiled up at him and shook my head. "Well, I love you, too. But I'm still confused. Why did you break up with me?"

He sighed before saying, "Because, you kept getting hurt. It was my fault, I wanted to keep you safe." Though his reason was ridiculous, it caused my smile to grow.

"I don't see how that's true," I said.

"The reason you broke your arm was because I wasn't there to stop the hollow. And because you're around me so much, you're more likely to attacked by hollows."

"So? You won't be around every time something bad happens to me, that's expected. And I'll still hang out with Ichigo and Rukia whether we're together or not, so I'm still more likely to be attacked. These reasons make no sense, Renji."

"That's why I didn't bother trying to explain anything to you, I knew they wouldn't. Not to you, at least," he answered.

I sighed, exhausted from this ridiculous argument that seemed to be getting us no where. "Renji, this isn't you're fault. Me getting hurt or being attacked by hollows. It's really not. Why are you depriving yourself of happiness?" I asked, teasing him.

My comment got him to glance over at me and smile, rolling his eyes.

"Listen," I started, grabbing his hand as we continued to our destination. This time he didn't pull away. "How about we continue to date and if you still feel too guilty about these things that aren't your fault, I will completely understand if you have to dump me."

"But you won't," he stated, knowing I was only talking, not meaning it.

"Fine, maybe I won't understand. But I'll accept it. I won't get mad at you, I'll...kind of understand why you decided to do it. Okay?"

He stared off and eventually nodded. "Alright."

_-:-_

A month after Renji brought me home from the Soul Society, he came back to Earth for a few days. By then my arm had healed up pretty nicely but I had a fractured rib from another hollow attack. The first day he acted like everything was fine but by the end of the second day he told me he wanted to break up with me again. I told him it was alright and the next day he was back in Soul Society.

I dealt with the break up, but it wasn't nearly as easy as I imagined it would be. In the month we had been together again I had gotten closer to Renji than I expected to. Rukia had let me barrow one of her old soul pagers so that every afternoon he could call me. We talked for hours every night and everything seemed to be going fine. Then he came to Earth and just broke it off. I didn't question him and I told him that I didn't hold it against him. When he walked away from dumping me I smiled and waved goodbye, making him believe I would be okay.

In three months I had forgotten the full sting of being dumped. I continued to hang out with Rukia and Ichigo, getting even closer to the couple. (And yes, by then they were admitting to being a couple.) Everything started to get normal again. I had coped completely with my father's death and I was pretty much over Renji. Or so I thought.

One afternoon while I was walking home from Ichigo's house I decided to take the shortcut that I had taken with Renji over four months ago. I climbed the fence with ease and started toward the apartments. As I turned a corner I stopped dead in my tracks. Standing in front of me was Renji. He was in his gigai, clad in jeans and a T-shirt. His brow was creased and his jaw was clenched tightly. I absentmindedly took a few steps away from him, folding my hands together behind my back. All the pain I had felt for losing him rushed back at just the sight of his tall form.

"Hey Renji," I said quietly, trying to keep my composure. I smiled up at him, faking the gesture. "What brings you here?"

"Mina...," he said, my heart clenching in my chest at his soft voice.

I stared at him, my smile fading, unable to respond to him. He took a step closer to me and lightly grabbed my arm, but I pulled it away. "Don't," I said in a stern tone. I would not allow him to do this to me again.

He nodded and looked away, his brow creasing further.

"What do you need, Renji?" I demanded, being harsher than I should have been, I'm sure.

"I just," he started, shoving his hands in his pocket. "I wanted to tell you I...made a mistake..." His voice was drenched with guilt and self loathing, I couldn't _not_ feel bad for him.

"And what's that?" I asked, knowing, but not willing to admit it.

Before answering he returned my gaze and held it. "Letting you go."

"You didn't 'let me go', Renji, you pushed me away!"

"Okay, okay. My mistake was...breaking up with you," he said, still looking down at me.

"Well, how many times do you plan on making this mistake?" The words were bubbling up in my throat, I had no control over them. "Do you think you can just come back whenever you feel like it!"

"No, that's not-"

"That's what is seems like! I still love you, Renji, but I can't do this!"

"I'm still in love with you too! It's not like I'm d-"

My eyes grew wide as I interrupted him again. "Whoa, whoa...What?"

Renji soon realized what he had said and his face turned red. He backed up a few steps and slightly shook his head. He was going to _leave_.

I stepped toward him and grabbed his wrist, pulling him closer. "Did you mean that, Renji? You're _in_ love with me?"

He continued to pull away carefully. "I didn't- I wasn't really-" he stammered, unable to make a single coherent sentence.

"Renji," I said sternly, causing him to shut up and look down at me. "Just...explain."

He sighed and looked away again. "I...think...I'm in love with you...," he said, clearing his throat nervously.

"You think...or you _know_?"

Sighing louder he said, "I _know_."

I nodded and continued to watch him. Before I could respond he continued. "And I can't _do this_."

"Do what?"

"I can't...live without you," he said, looking back down at me. I slowly smiled and he smiled too, his face getting redder. "That's so corny," he stated, embarrassment clear in his tone.

"I think it's sweet!" I responded, laughing quietly. I stepped closer to him and hugged onto his waist tightly. "Then don't."

He hugged me back tightly, hurting my ribs, but I didn't care. I pulled away and looked up at him, waiting for an answer. Nodding he said, "Alright."

I smiled at his lame answer, soon growing serious again. "If you only make me get closer to you just so you dump me again...it's over for good. No matter what you do or say."

His expression turned stern, taking what I said into consideration. He nodded curtly and said, "Of course."

I nodded and allowed a smile to reappear on my face. I pulled myself closer to him and kissed him quickly. "You know, I think I'm in love with you too," my smile growing into a full grin.

He slightly cocked his tattooed eyebrow, saying, "You think or you know?"

I rolled my eyes while laughing and said, "_I know_," before kissing him again.

_-:-_

Okay so...lame ending? Yay? Nay? :/ I'm sorry it ended like it did, I honestly feel it has much more potential if someone else were writing it, ha ha! :) And I'm sorry it's so...short. I was all like "Oh yeah, next chapter's going to be SO long!" but I've failed you again. Sorry. :/

So, thanks again all of you who have stuck with me during my hard times of not having a plot. Please, watch out for the sequel in the next few days and no worries, this one has a plot! :D Woo!

Thanks again! :P I'll be awaiting my final reviews for this story! (So sad!)


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